Kerry have won their Joe McDonagh Cup opener after a tremendous display.
The Kingdom won away to Westmeath in Cusack Park, Mullingar by 1-20 to 1-14.
Ronan Walsh pointed the Kingdom in front in the opening minute, Maurice O'Connor then adding to that with a point of his own. Niall Mulcahy made it 3-0 after 5 minutes. Maurice O'Connor made it 4 nil before Westmeath had their first point in the 10th minute. 4 minutes, and 2 points, later Westmeath had narrowed the gap to 1 at 4 points to 3. Maurice O'Connor's 3rd point doubled the Kingdom advantage. Approaching the midway point of the half Darragh Shanahan made it 6 points to 3 for the Kingdom. Kerry were well on top, Ronan Walsh making it 7 to 3 and Maurice O'Connor putting the Kingdom 5 to the good. Killian Doyle got his and Westmeath's 4th point after half an hour; Kerry 0-8 Westmeath 0-4. Westmeath had 2 of the next 3 scores to narrow the gap to 9 points to 6.
After Westmeath put over the first point of the second half 2 Maurice O'Connor points had Kerry 4 clear at 0-11 to 0-7. Westmeath halved that deficit before a 7th point of the day by Maurice O'Connor meant Kerry led by 3 at 12 points to 9. Westmeath got it back to 12 points to 11 but Killian Hayes doubled the Kingdom advantage after 48 minutes. 2 Fionan Mackessy points and another by Maurice O'Connor increased the Kerry advantage to 5 after 53 minutes; 0-16 to 0-11. Points were swapped before a Westmeath goal, scored by Tommy Doyle, brought the gap to 2 after 59 minutes. It was Kerry 0-17 Westmeath 1-12. Maurice O'Connor put the Kingdom 3 clear in the 64th minute. Again the sides swapped points before a Maurice O'Connor goal in the first added on minute put the Kingdom out of sight at 1-19 to 1-13 Kerry won by 6.
Kerry manager Stephen Molumphy
Laois beat Offaly 2-21 to 0-24.
