Kerry blown away early on

Munster Hurling Quarter-final: Munster champions Waterford outclassed Kerry in the first round of the provincial hurling championship before 7,000 spectators at Walsh Park yesterday, winning every bit as easily as the scoreline suggests.

Indeed the winners did not have to be at their best to outshine opposition who played poorly against the wind in the first half and improved only when the match was over as a contest.

Kerry, who had put up a good show against Antrim in the Division Two League final six days earlier, were in trouble from the start, and Waterford, with Ken McGrath in sparkling form, had five points on the board, three of them from McGrath, after ten minutes.

Kerry's best player, right corner forward Shane Brick, broke the sequence when he sent over the bar after 14 minutes. But the respite was only temporary as Waterford came again for points from Dave Bennett (two frees), McGrath and Paul Flynn.

Flynn followed up with a goal after 23 minutes, having hit the woodwork from close range seconds earlier, and when McGrath and Bennett tacked on further points it was 1-12 to 0-1 and the match was as good as over.

To their credit, Kerry battled on and left corner forward John Mike Dooley blasted a goal after good work by Gary O'Brien. Shane Brick immediately added a point but any hope of a Kerry revival ended when Bennett (2), Eoin Kelly and Seamus Prendergast scored Waterford points to leave it 1-16 to 1-2 at the interval.

Kerry improved on the restart and had two quick points from Michael "Boxer" Slattery and Shane Brick.

Brick, one of three brothers in the side, was to emerge as a real star, scoring eight points in all, including a free from over 100 metres. But he had too little assistance, although goalie John Healy made two blinding saves, one in each half, and Ian Brick and Conor Flaherty impressed.

Kerry scored nine points in the opening half hour of the second half against seven for Waterford, who had become lacklustre in parts of the field. But Flynn struck for his own and his side's second goal four minutes from time and between that and the end, including three minutes of injury time, the holders added three more points, with Shane Brick providing Kerry's sole response.

Apart from McGrath, Waterford had good performances from Tony Browne, Andy Moloney, Fergal Hartley and Bennett. But Manager Justin McCarthy will recognise the need for improvement when they take on Limerick in the Munster semi-final.

WATERFORD: S Brenner; B Greene, T Feeney, B Flannery; D Prendergast, F Hartley, J Murray; T Browne (0-1 free), P Queally; E Kelly (0-2), K McGrath (0-8, 1 free), D Bennett (0-9, 6 frees, 1 65); S Prendergast (0-1), A Moloney (0-2), P Flynn (2-2, 1 free). Subs: E McGrath for Greene, A Kirwan for Flannery, M Walsh for Browne, D Shanahan (0-1) for Moloney.

KERRY: J Healy; HF Twomey, M Lucid, I Brick; WJ Leen, J McCarthy, K O'Sullivan; C Flaherty, A Cronin; M Slattery (0-1), B Brick (0-1), P O'Connell (0-1); S Brick (0-8, 3 frees), G O'Brien, JM Dooley (1-0). Subs: P Cronin for Leen, L Boyle (0-1) for O'Sullivan, C Harris for McCarthy, M Murnane for O'Brien, M Conway for O'Connell.

Referee: Pat Ahern (Carlow).