Kerry 2.11 - 2.05 Waterford. Ladies Football League, Division One.
Waterford's ladies' footballers suffered their second defeat of the league campaign away to Kerry on Sunday.
Pat Sullivan's side led the game from the off, starting in the best possible fashion thanks to Captain Kelly Ann Hogan.
The Ballymacarbry stalwart was first to react from the throw-in, raising a green flag inside the first minute of play.
Hogan's clubmate Bríd McMaugh got in on the action shortly after, pointing to send Waterford four points clear inside 5 minutes.
The early stages were all Waterford when Mairead O'Brien sent home a second goal. The dual star fisted home a peach of a free from Hogan.
The Kerry response finally came through Niamh Carmody when she pointed following O'Brien's green flag. Less than a minute later the Kingdom were sent into ecstasy when Jadyn Lucey raised their first green flag.
The 2023 runners-up started to take control of the game at that point, scoring twice more without response to make it a one-point affair with Aine O'Neil getting the next Waterford score, having failed to register one for twelve minutes.
The hosts would kick two more points before the halftime break to make it a level contest at the interval, 1.05 - 2.02.
Kerry kicked the first two scores of the second half to take the lead away from their guests. Nine minutes of play had elapsed in the second period before Waterford found a score. Alannah McNulty provided the breakthrough but it would prove to be one of just three points kicked by the visitors in the second half.
The Kerry bench proved crucial in the final 20 minutes as the hosts started to dominate. 2023 Player of the Year Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh was imperious, scoring 1.04 off the bench having come on in the 47th minute.
A Katie Murray point after 17 minutes and a Mairead O'Brien white flag three minutes were the Déíse's last scores of the contest with Kerry outscoring their guests 1.06 to 0.03.
Scorers
Kerry: L Ní Mhuircheartaigh 1-4 (0-3f), J Lucey 1-0, Niamh Carmody 0-4 (4f), D O’Leary (0-2), E Dineen 0-1.
Waterford: M O’Brien 1-1, K A Hogan 1-0, B McMaugh 0-1, Aine O’Neill 0-1, A McNulty 0-1, K Murray 0-1(f).
