2A/2B/3A/3B hurling round-up: Down too strong for Kerry, Oakleafers earn derby win

Down recorded their first win of the Division 2A season as Ronan Sheehan's side defeated Kerry 2-23 to 1-19 in Ballycran.

McKenna Park is a tough place for visiting teams to go and so it proved once again as the Kingdom suffered back-to-back defeats after their opening loss to Carlow.

Kerry made the perfect start as Micheal Leane goaled in the opening moments, and a Maurice O’Connor free and a Dan Goggin point, either side of a Pearse Og McCrickard free, had them in good nick seven minutes in.

Caolan Taggart got up the pitch for a point for Down, quickly followed by one from Donal Hughes, to cut the gap before Gavin Dooley and Tim Prenter exchanged scores. Kerry’s Killian Hayes and Down’s Tom McGrattan did likewise to leave Stephen Molumphy’s side two points to the good after 10 minutes.

Kerry scored four of the next five points to really take control of the contest, leading 1-08 to 0-06, but Down, with McCrickard prominent in the scoring stakes, were hanging in there.

The gap was still five points at the half-hour mark, but two Fionan Mackessy frees gave Kerry a 1-15 to 0-11 interval lead.

The Mourne men, now with the wind behind them, controlled the second-half proceedings though, hitting 2-08 without reply between the 35th and 52nd minutes to leave them in a great position.

Portaferry’s Daithi Sands got the first of those, blasting to the net when the chance seemed to have escaped him, before Danny Toner grabbed a second to leave Down 2-19 to 1-15 ahead.

O’Connor opened Kerry’s second-half scoring with a free in the 57th minute, but the same player missed a penalty five minutes from time, Stephen Keith saving, to end any chance of a late comeback – McGrattan's closing point securing a seven-point win for Down.

In Division 2B,