Kerry 4-13
Waterford 0-9
By Dan Kearney
Kerry secured their quarter final place in the race for the TG4 All-Ireland SFC as they eased to a 16-point victory over Waterford at Fitzgerald Stadium in a one-sided encounter.
Kerry, playing with a strong breeze in the first half blew the Waterford challenge away with some power-packed football and led by 2-10 to 0-3 at half time.
It took the home side a while to get going but when they did Waterford had no answer to their pace, movement and finishing power.
Central to Kerry’s dominance was the dismantling of Waterford’s kickouts with Evelyn O’Brien finding it extremely difficult to find a white jersey.
Kerry led by 1-2 to 0-1 after 10 minutes with Hannah O’Donoghue getting on the end of a brilliant combination with Emma Dineen to finish smartly to the back of the net.
Danielle O’Leary added a score from the kickout and with the brilliant O’Donoghue slotting a brace of points straight afterwards, Waterford were under all sorts of pressure.
O’Donoghue turned provider to feed Danielle O’Leary for Kerry’s second goal in the 22nd minute and points followed from Niamh Ní Chonchúir, Aishling O’Connell, Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh, and Hannah O’Donoghue with Waterford’s reply coming from boot of Kelly Ann Hogan on the stroke of half time.
Waterford made a bright start to the second half with Eve Power and Mairead O’Brien claiming early points. Half time substitute Siofra O’Shea hit the Waterford net after being fed by Niamh Ní Chonchúir in the 36th minute to put Kerry 3-11 to 0-6 ahead and it was difficult to see Waterford coming back into the contest.
The marauding TG4 Player of the Match Aishling O’Connell struck her second point of the game a minute later but Waterford kept going and Ciara Butler was forced into a fine save from Emma Murray before Eve Power hit her second point of the game.
Both sides ran their bench as the game petered out in the final quarter but there was one final act when Siofra O’Shea fed Emma Dineen for an easy finish to the back of the net.
Waterford must now beat Donegal in next week’s encounter if they are to advance from the group.
Scorers – Kerry: H O’Donoghue 1-3, D O’Leary 1-2 (1f), E Dineen 1-1, S O’Shea 1-0, L Ní Mhuircheartaigh 0-3 (2f), A O’Connell 0-2, N Carmody 0-1, N Ní Chonchúir 0-1.
Waterford: K A Hogan 0-3, M O’Brien 0-2, E Power 0-2, E Fitzgerald 0-1f, K McGrath 0-1.
KERRY: C Butler; E Lynch, K Cronin, C Murphy; A O’Connell, D Kearney, A Dillane; M O’Connell, A Galvin; N Carmody, L Ní Mhuircheartaigh, H O’Donoghue; N Ní Chonchúir, E Dineen, D O’Leary. Subs: S O’Shea for Ní Mhuircheartaigh (H/T), L Scanlon for Carmody (39), A Harrington for O’Connell (42), J Lucey for H O’Donoghue (47), F O’Donoghue for Dillane (50.
WATERFORD: E O’Brien; C Murray, H Power, K McGrath; E Fitzgerald, A Murray, A McNulty; K Hogan , E Murray; C Carroll, A Fitzgerald, M Comerford; K Murray, L McGregor, M O’Brien. Subs: E Power for O’Brien (15), C McCarthy for Carroll (23), M O’Brien for Comerford (H/T), N Power for McCarthy (47), A Waring for Murray (50).
Referee: Jonathan Murphy (Carlow).