Kerry bounced back in some style from their opening day defeat with a whopping 20-point success over an understrength Derry in Austin Stack Park.
It didn’t take long for the Kingdom’s dominance to assert itself. Derry started well enough with a pair of points from Richie Mullan inside the opening three minutes. The home side, however, subsequently shot nine on-the-trot starting with the first of three first-half points by Rory Mahony.
In pretty much every line of the pitch, the green and gold were dominant. Where last week Kerry were bossed in the physical stakes, this time around they were the stronger side, certainly they were quicker, sharper, more skilful, and more confident.
When Derry struck back with a pair of points on 22 and 24 minutes from Shea Cassidy and a Christy McNaughton free, two of Kerry’s young guns stood up to the plate to pretty much kill the contest stone dead.
First, a goal form man-of-match Seánie Brosnan (following a sweet assist by Mahony) on 25 minutes and just before the half-time break a second by captain Oisín Maunsell following an assist by Shane Nolan.
That left the Kingdom 14 points clear at the break. In short order it was out to a 17-point game following a second goal from captain Maunsell, a minute into the second half.
Derry, to give them their dues, did shoot another three on the bounce in the wake of Maunsell’s second three-pointer but Kerry were soon back up and running with points from Conway, Nolan, and a pair from Brosnan.
A fourth Kerry goal from Shane Conway – flicking home deftly from a Darragh Shanahan cross – had Kerry 4-16 to 0-10 clear at the end of the third quarter and utterly in control of affairs.
Derry did get a fourth-quarter consolation goal through Meehaul McGrath but not before the Kingdom got their fifth through Brosnan – who finished with 2-4 from play in his first game – as the game largely petered out from there.
There were, however, a couple of late sendings off for Kyle O’Connor and Richie Mullane in injury time.
Scorers – Kerry: S Brosnan 2-4, S Conway 1-7, 5fs, O Maunsell 2-0, R Mahony 0-3, R Walsh, S Nolan 0-2 each, D Moriarty and L Rochford 0-1 each. Derry: M McGrath 1-2, C McNaughton 0-5, 4fs, R Mullen 0-2 1f, D Foley, S Cassidy E Conway 0-1 each
Kerry: L Dee; K O’Connor, D Kearney, D Griffin; D Shanahan, T Casey, S McGrath; K Hayes, R Mahony; T Doyle, S Brosnan, R Walsh; O Maunsell, S Nolan, S Conway Subs: R Donovan for K Hayes (33), N Mulcahy for R Walsh (52), D Moriarty for O Maunsell (52), S Foran for D Griffin (55), L Rochford for S Nolan (62)
Derry: S Kelly; P Nelis, M Craig, P Kelly; S Cassidy, C Coyle, T Brady; R Mullan, R McGill; S M Quinn, M McGrath, D Foley; J Mullan, C McNaughton, S Cassidy Subs: E Cassidy for S Cassidy ( ht), E Conway for T Brady (ht), C O’Kane for S M Quinn ( ht), J Friel for C Coyle (48), A Duffin for P Kelly (57).