Comfortable win for Kerry over Meath in Stephen Molumphy's last game as manager

In what was Stephen Molumphy's last game as Kerry manager, the Kingdom finished off the Waterford man’s three-year tenure in style with a comfortable nine-point win over 14-man Meath at a rain-soaked Austin Stack Park in Tralee on Saturday afternoon.

A dead-rubber following Meath’s relegation and Kerry’s defeat to Offaly last weekend, both sides were playing for pride and bragging rights in this Joe McDonagh Cup final round-robin game from the get-go but showed no signs of an end-of-season hangover.

Having comfortably led by 2-07 to 1-05 at half-time thanks to goals from Michael Leane and Gavin Dooley and with the numerical advantage after Meath’s Eoin Donegan saw red just shy of the half hour mark.

Kerry extended their lead to nine points by the full-time whistle.

Kerry were duly rewarded for their efforts as early as the fourth minute as towering Ballyheigue forward Michael Leane rose highest to direct a superb Brandon Barrett high ball into the back of the net.

Meath, however, brought the game back to within a point of Kerry by the 10th minute when target man Damien Healy drew a foul as he swung for a point. James Murray slotted home the resulting penalty as the rain started to fall heavily in Tralee.

Just shy of the midway point of the opening half Kerry got their second goal, putting six points between the sides, as the lively Dan Goggin set up Gavin Dooley who made it 2-05 to 1-02 in favour of the Kingdom with a powerful shot to the back of the net.

Meath were reduced to 14 men in the 28th minute when Donegan saw red after a frontal collision with Michael Leane.

All of Meath’s opening half scores came through impressive half-forward James Murray as the Royals failed to score from play in the opening 35 minutes.

In the 45th