MUNSTER MFC SECOND PLAY-OFF ROUND: Kerry 3-9 Limerick 0-5:KERRY EVENTUALLY came good in the second half against Limerick, whose challenge petered out long before the end at Austin Stack Park last night.
Kerry were slow into their stride as Limerick opened the scoring with a fine point seconds from the throw-in by Robbie Burke but it proved a false dawn.
It took Kerry 11 minutes to level the contest, thanks to a Jack Savage free but the first quarter was scrappy and notable only for a goal attempt from a Denis Daly flick that was taken off the line by corner back Denis Greaney.
Greaney was later to repeat the feat when he denied Kerry midfielder Eanna Ó Conchuir a certain goal but the score that separated the sides at the interval was a Kerry goal, scored by Gerald OSullivan in the 23rd minute as Kerry led 1-4 to 0-4 at the interval.
The game clinching score came in the 45th minute when Conor Keane was taken down for a penalty and Ó Conchuir gave the Limerick goalkeeper no chance.
Kerry did as they liked in the final ten minutes and a third goal from substitute Gavin O’Shea merely emphasised the gulf in class between the sides.
KERRY:G Curran; C O'Luing, G Crowley, S O'Connor; B Crowley, R Murphy, G Horan (0-1); E Ó Conchuir (1-0, penalty), K Murphy (0-1, 45); G O'Sullivan (1-0), J Savage (0-2, 1f), C Fitzgerald (0-1); N Sheehy (0-2, 1f), D Daly (0-1), C Keane (0-1). Subs: G O'Shea (1-0) for Sheehy (41 mins), D Collins for O'Luing (58 mins), D Foran for Daly (58 mins), E Doyle for Murphy (60 mins).
LIMERICK: J O'Meara; D Greaney, N O'Connor, K Meade; P White (0-1), S Cahill, S Barrett; D Condron (0-1), R Burke (0-1); E ODonnell (0-1), D Daly, T McCarthy (0-1); D Stapleton, D O'Donovan, J Breen. Subs: J Frawley for T McCarthy (41 mins), R McKenna for D Daly (43 mins), D Jones for D Greaney (47 mins), C O'Shea for D ODonovan (50 mins).
Referee:M Rock (Clare).
Next Up . . .
In the provincial semi-finals – fixed for Wednesday, May 16th – Cork will host Tipperary, while Clare will meet Kerry. Details to be announced.
