MacGearailt the key man

MUNSTER JFC FIRST ROUND Kerry 1-13 Tipperary 0-9:FORMER SENIOR All-Ireland medal winner Aodán MacGearailt was the key man as Kerry powered their way past Tipperary in the Munster junior football championship at Thurles yesterday.

MacGearailt, at the heart of everything Kerry did in attack, chipped in with four points as Kerry pulled clear in the second half.

The Gaeltacht attacker also had a 52nd-minute penalty turned over the bar by Tipperary goalkeeper Kieran Kenrick, after MacGearailt himself was fouled.

It made no difference to the outcome as Kerry were coasting courtesy of a 1-12 to 0-7 lead at the time.

A Michael O’Donoghue goal for Kerry after eight minutes was the main difference between the sides in a competitive first half. It helped Kerry to an interval led of 1-5 to 0-6.

Five points in the opening 10 minutes of the second half had breeze-assisted Kerry firmly in control and they never looked back thereafter.

KERRY: S Óg Ó Ciardubháin; S Enright, A Cahill, B McGuire; F Griffin, A Greaney, E O'Neill; G O'Driscoll (0-1), D Murphy; M Murphy (0-2), M O'Donoghue (1-3), A O Sullivan (0-1); G Sayers, A MacGearailt (0-4), J Buckley (0-2). Subs: E Hickson for Cahill; F Courtney for Sayers; B Paff for D Murphy; T McGoldrick for Buckley.

TIPPERARY: K Kenrick; D Buckley, R Power, D Lynch; D Bourke, D Dwyer (0-1), P O'Dwyer; D Heffernan, L O'Gorman (0-1); T Hanly (0-2), R O'Dwyer, L Coskeran; T Egan (0-2), S Hahessy (0-3), P McEvoy. Subs: D Foley for Heffernan; R Kiely for Power; D O'Brien for McEvoy; D Lynagh for Coskeran.

Referee: M Condon(Waterford).