Second half goals from Paul Galvin and substitute Eoin Brosnan steered Kerry to a 2-12 to 0-10 win over Galway at the Gaelic Grounds this evening – securing an 18th NFL Division One title for the Kingdom.
Jack O'Connor's outfit out-scrapped the Tribesmen for their second League triumph in three seasons, giving themselves some early season cheer ahead of the start of their Munster Championship defence against Waterford on May 21.
Galway, gunning for their first NFL success since 1981, will be disappointed when they look back at the match video. They looked ideally placed when they went into the break with a 0-06 to 0-03 advantage, but a sleepy start to the second period proved costly for Peter Ford's side.
History unfortunately repeated itself for the westerners as the galling fact that Galway have not beaten Kerry in a major knock-out contest since 1981 remains. That run includes the 2004 League decider, which the Kingdom won by a point.
In this evening's tussle, a Marc Ó Sé foul on Padraic Joyce saw the former Galway skipper open the scoring in the first minute. Kerry captain Declan O'Sullivan replied four minutes later, before Colm 'Gooch' Cooper's left-footed free edged Kerry in front.
Galway then notched the next four points to move 0-05 to 0-02 clear. Joyce (free), Michael Donnellan (free), who regained his poise after two early misses, Michael Meehan (free) and Matthew Clancy were all on target as the Tribe's much-vaunted attack clicked into gear.
Kerry were finding it hard to eat into Galway's lead and it took wing back Mossie Lyons to raid forward and kick their third point on 34 minutes. Injury-time saw Meehan add to his and Galway's tally with a neat score, swivelling off his right.
Kerry boss O'Connor had clearly got his message across during the half-time break as Bryan Sheehan, Cooper and Galvin cracked over the opening three points of the second half to level at 0-06 apiece. It took Galway all of 15 minutes to register their seventh point – Clancy brilliantly left-footed over from wide out on the left flank.
But then, as it so often does, the game turned in Kerry's favour at the end of the third quarter. Galvin was allowed too much space as he waltzed into range and planted a low drive beyond the grasp of Galway 'keeper Alan Keane for a 1-06 to 0-07 lead.
St Mary's clubman Sheehan, who impressed from placed balls, tagged on a free before a contentious Joyce effort, which looked to have been a few inches wide, was allowed to stand.
Brosnan made a big impact when coming off the bench. He arced over a great point and then, right on the hour mark, he plucked down a pin point Cooper pass to fire home Kerry's second goal.
2-09 to 0-08 in front, Kerry had little difficulty in maintaining their advantage, although net minder Diarmuid Murphy was called upon to deftly deny Joyce from point blank range.
Sheehan and Clancy traded further scores before Sheehan's brace of injury-time frees, one off the ground and the other from his hands, added a degree of comfort for the Munster kingpins.
