KERRY 2-12 LEITRIM 0-9:Kerry turned on the pressure after half-time to crush Leitrim's brave challenge in Kenagh, Co Longford yesterday. Leitrim turned in a spirited first-half performance and trailed by the minimum at the break.
The game produced a dream start for Kerry when unmarked full forward SeáMcGinley chipped the ball into the Leitrim net. But Leitrim hit back with points from Paul McDermott and Fintan McBrien in the next 10 minutes.
A Dara Ó Cinnéide point extended Kerry's lead in the 18th minute but Leitrim got on level terms after some determined play ended with points from Martin McCarron and McBrien.
Kerry edged ahead again with a 34th-minute Noel Kennelly point.Leitrim levelled the game three minutes later when McBrien put over a 20-metre free. But Seamus Moynihan, just before half-time, hit a point that put Kerry ahead by 1-3 to 0-5 at the break.
After the restart Kerry shot an unanswered 1-8 in the opening 21 minutes as the Leitrim challenge faded. Kerry played exhibition stuff in this phase of the game with Declan Quill putting over four points, while Darragh Ó Sé, Eamonn Fitzmaurice, Ó Cinnéide and Aodhan MacGearailt all adding points.
A goal by substitute Sean O'Sullivan in the 19th minute ended Leitrim's interest in the contest. After a barrage of Kerry pressure McBrien opened Leitrim's second-half account with a point from play on 23 minutes.
KERRY: D O'Keeffe; J Sheehan, B O'Shea, M McCarthy; E Fitzmaurice (0-1), T Ó Sé, S Moynihan (0-1); D Ó Sé (0-1), D Daly; D Quill (0-4), N Kennelly (0-1), A MacGearailt (0-1); MF Russell, S McGinley (1-0), D Ó Cinnéide (0-2). Subs: E Brosnan for Daly (26 mins), S O'Sullivan (1-0) for McGinley (51 mins), I Twist (0-1) for Moynihan (57 mins), F Kelliher for Ó Cinnéide (57 mins), E Galvin for T Ó Sé (61 mins).
LEITRIM: E Lyons; F Reynolds, A Charles, T Kelleher; P McGarry (0-1), C Murray, J McKeon; G McCloskey, M McCarron (0-1); P McDermott (0-1), S Canning, J Cullen; D Brennan, J Guckian (0-1), F McBrien (0-4). Subs: O McGuinness for Reynolds (7 mins), O Maguire for Brennan (26 mins), S Foley for Cullen (48 mins), N Doonan (0-1) for McGuinness (48 mins), M Duignan for Canning (62 mins).
Referee: J White (Donegal).
In hurling, All-Ireland champions Tipperary, fielding five of their All-Ireland winning side, had to rely on a late, late Eddie Enright point to force a draw with Waterford, 2-6 to 1-9, in an entertaining senior hurling tournament final at Dungarvan yesterday.
A third-minute John Mullane goal helped Waterford to lead by 1-4 to 0-3 at the interval having played with a strong wind.
Within four minutes of the resumption Tipperary had cut the deficit to a single point before a Dave Bennett goal from a penalty put Waterford back in control. The visitors were too reliant on Johnny Enright for their scores from placed balls and he rattled the net from a free with three minutes remaining to tie the game. Bennett edged Waterford back in front, also from a free, before Enright sent over the equaliser for a draw.
WATERFORD: S Brenner; T Feeney, S Cullinane, B Flannery; J Murray, J O'Connor, A Kirwan; P Queally, P Fitzgerald (0-1); D Shanahan, S Prendergast (0-1), E Kelly (0-1); J Mullane (1-0), K McGrath E Murphy. Subs: D Bennett (1-3) for Kelly, M Walsh for Mullane, M White for Shanahan.
TIPPERARY: J Cottrell; T Costelloe, P Curran, J Devane; E Coughlan, M Ryan, B Dunne; A Butler, E Enright (0-1); J Enright (1-6), J Carroll, N Morris; L Cahill (0-1), E O'Neill, D Shelley. Subs: M O'Leary (0-1) for Carroll, C Gleeson for Aidan Butler. L Corbett for Morris, S Butler for Shelley.
Referee: P Moore (Waterford)
