Kerry Hit League champs for Six

League champions Mayo got their Suzuki  Division 1A league campaign off to the worst possible start yesterday in Annascaul as they slumped to a landslide defeat against the home side.
Kerry ran riot to rack up a hugely impressive victory with the avalanche of goals beginning as early as the third minute as Patrice Dennehy found Debra Murphy in behind the cover to get the goalfest underway.
The league champions and All Ireland finalists were short key personnel in the form of Christine Heffernan, Diane O’Hora and injured all-star Cora Staunton and struggled to create any clear cut openings up front.
The evergreen Geraldine O’Shea was enjoying playing on her home patch and along with Patrice Dennehy they pulled the strings up front as Kerry opened up a 3-5 to 1-2 lead after the opening 20 minutes. Livewire Sarah Houlihan chipped in with the first of her two goals as Debra Murphy also bagged a double with Mayo’s solitary green flag been raised after full forward Patrice Coyle fired home.
Any hopes of a comeback were dashed on the stroke of half time as wing forward Aoife O’ Sullivan netted Kerry’s fourth goal to leave it 4-5 to 1-2 at the break. The pattern of the game changed little after the resumption with Houlihan striking yet again and midfielder Magaret O’Donoghue putting the finishing touches to Kerry’s tour de force with a super strike to send managerless Mayo back West with much to ponder.
Meanwhile All Ireland champions Cork ground out a hard fought win at home in Mallow in glorious sunshine to maintain their 100% record in Division 1B.
All star Juliet Murphy chipped in with three first half frees and a free flowing move saw the returning Caoimhe Creedon slam to the net to give the rebelettes a half-time cushion of 1-6 to 0-3. The league finalists Galway tried hard after the break to get back into proceedings and were offered a ray of light when Sinead Burke goaled. Gillian Doyle’s points kept the pressure on Cork who had late points from Rhona Buckley, Valerie Mulcahy and substitute Amanada Murphy to get them over the winning line.

In the early kick-off in the same group Leinster rivals Kildare and Dublin played out an entertaining draw, 1-12 a piece as an Emma Kilduff minor late on rescued a point for the Lilywhites who had hit the front through a Stacey Conlon goal at the end of the first quarter. The Metropolitians managed to draw level through a Lindsay Davey strike as the sides went to the break deadlocked on 1-6 apiece. Sinead Aherne was in impressive form for Dublin contributing six points as the visitors looked set to take the spoils until late points from Simone Gilbert and Kilduff gave the home side their first league point of the campaign.
This Week’s Results
Suzuki NFL Div 1A:
Armagh 3-12 Wexford 1-6, Laois 0-7 Tyrone 0-8,
Kerry 6-12 Mayo 1-5.
Suzuki NFL Div 1B:
Kildare 1-12 Dublin 1-12, Cork 1-10 Galway 1-6,
Meath 0-5 Monaghan 2-17.

Suzuki NFL Div 2A:
Waterford 1-14 Clare 2-4, Leitrim 2-1 Westmeath 8-15.

Suzuki NFL Div 2B:
Down 2 -12 Donegal 3-9, Longford 1-6 Tipperary 3-6.

Suzuki NFL Div 3A:
Cavan 0-9 v Roscommon 4-3, Offaly 3-6 v Carlow 1-10.

Suzuki NFL Div 3B:
Antrim 1-5 Limerick 3-5, Kilkenny 2-10 Derry 1-8, London 1-7 Wicklow 1-2.