Kerry 0-17 Tipperary 0-14
Stephen Molumphy’s Kerry tenure is off to a flying start after his team enjoyed a three point win over Tipperary in Saturday’s Munster Hurling Cup quarter-final.
Shane Conway led the way with nine points to set up a last four clash with All-Ireland champions Limerick in the Gaelic Grounds next Friday.
The Lixnaw clubman scored over half of his side’s 17 points as the Kingdom overcame a young Tipperary team at a rain and wind-swept Austin Stack Park in Tralee.
Kerry, who were without any of their Kilmoyley players who take on Courcey Rovers of Cork in Sunday’s Munster Club Intermediate final in Limerick, started the brighter of the two sides and were a point to the good after Paudie Ahern linked up well with Dr Croke’s Mark Heffernan with just two minutes on the clock.
The point of the game came in the 10th minute as the impressive Conway burst through a stretched Tipperary defence to put Kerry back in front, cancelling out an earlier Sean Ryan free.
Colm Bonnar’s experimental Tipperary team, who despite playing with the strong breeze behind them in the opening half, had nine wides and trailed by three - 0-9 to 0-6 - points by the change of ends.
A Conway free - his fifth point of the afternoon - with the last puck of the opening 35 minutes gave Kerry their three point advantage at the break.
Kerry maintained that lead through to the second water break with scores coming from Conway (two frees), Nolan, Leane and Dooley.
A late Conway penalty - in the fifth minute of 11 minutes added on - was superbly saved by Barry Hogan but Kerry held on to secure the victory nonetheless.
KERRY: Louis Dee; Sean Weir, Conor O'Keeffe, Eric Leen; Eoin Ross, Fionan MacKessey (0-1), Michael Leane (0-1); Colin Walsh, Shane Nolan (0-1, one free); Gavin Dooley (0-1), Shane Conway (0-9, six frees), Colum Harty (0-1); James Sheehan, Paudie Ahern (0-3), Mark Heffernan.
Subs: Brian Lonergan for Harty (47 mins), Michael O’Leary for Sheehan (50 mins), Sean Sheehan for Dooley (71 mins).
TIPPERARY: Barry Hogan; Daragh Carey; James Quigley, Craig Morgan; Eoghan Connolly, Robert Byrne (0-1), Paddy Cadell; Dan McCormack, Sean Curran; Ger Browne, Conor Stakelum (0-1), Rian Doody; Sean Ryan (0-7, seven frees), Paul Flynn, Kian O'Kelly.
Subs: Cathal Barrett for Cadell (18 mins), Declan McGrath for Carey (25 mins), Willie Connors (0-1) for Doody (half-time), Seamus Kennedy for Curran (53 mins), Dillon Walsh (0-4, four frees) for O’Kelly (57 mins), O’Kelly for Connors (65 mins).
Referee: Ciaran O'Regan (Cork)
