Kerry boost league final hopes with win over Roscommon

Kerry took a major step towards maintaining their Division 1 status with a three-point win over Roscommon in Tralee, a result that leaves the losers with a bit of work to do next weekend before they can say the same.

It is a result that also keeps alive Kerry's chances of qualifying for the final and retaining their league title, but they will have to go to Galway next weekend and win there, and then see if other results play out in their favour.

For their part, Roscommon have now stacked up three losses in a row to go with the three successive wins they banked at the start of the league, and it might come down to them beating Donegal in round seven for the Rossies to retain their top-tier status.

Some credit to Roscommon for making the result as close as it was, which looked unlikely as they went six points down very early on, but while Kerry couldn't really kick on from there and completely shake Roscommon off, never did the home side really look in danger of losing this one either.

A lightning-fast start for Kerry saw them race into a 1-02 to 0-00 lead after six minutes, points from Dara Moynihan and Donal O’Sullivan bookending a brilliantly-finished David Clifford goal set up by an equally-brilliant through ball from Tony Brosnan.

O’Sullivan’s second point put Kerry six ahead after ten minutes and one feared for what value, if any, the travelling Roscommon support would get for their trip south.

Former Kerry player Conor Cox converted a 20-metre free for his adopted county to get Roscommon off the mark in the 12th minute but all the smooth running and crisp passing and best shot execution was coming from the home side.

Case in point was Kerry’s fourth point: Gavin White – playing his first minutes for Kerry since the