They took a while to get going, but Kerry got their All-Ireland group stage off to a flying start with a convincing 10-point win as David Clifford starred for the Kingdom with 1-03.
Kerry eventually pulled away in the final quarter in a sun-drenched Killarney after both sides had been level on three separate occasions in the opening half in front of 6,814 in attendance at Fitzgerald Stadium.
After what was truth, in truth, a lacklustre, pedestrian-like opening half it was the Kingdom who held a five-point lead - 0-11 to 0-06 - at half time, albeit boosted by a swirling breeze, before goals from David Clifford, Paul Geaney, and Gavin White helped Kerry eventually ease into a fairly comfortable win.
Clifford ended with 1-03, in a game that didn't really get going until the last 20 minutes with Kerry’s substitutes seemingly making a significant difference.
Roscommon, who made seven changes to their loss to Galway in the Connacht semi-final a month ago, got off to the better start and were two up inside four minutes against a complacent-looking Kerry side.
Rossies’ full-back Brian Stack scored his side’s second point, but, in truth, should have raised the game’s first green flag with the St Brigid’s man finding himself in space in front of the Kerry goal thanks to a superb Keith Doyle pass over the Kingdom defence.
It was, however, the unlikeliest of defensive heroes for Kerry, David Clifford who did enough to force Stack to put the ball over the bar, much to the delight of Shane Ryan.
Points from Diarmuid O’Connor – his first of two in the opening half – and Paul Geaney had both sides level by the ninth minute.
One of the scores of the game came just shy of the 23rd minute mark. Hard-working Micheál Burns was the producer, David Clifford the creator, Joe O’Connor the finisher from a tight angle.
A minute later the sides were level for the third time as Ben O’Carroll pointed well from out wide.
Kerry scored six of the half’s last seven points to take the comfortable-looking five-point lead into the break.
Jack O’Connor’s side, who made two changes to the team that defeated Clare in the Munster final two weeks previously with Shane Ryan returning from injury in goals and Diarmuid in for Tony Brosnan, started the second half slow but were a much-improved side as the game went on.
Kerry got their first score of the second half in the 46th minute when Clifford tapped over from inside the small D.
From here, the Kingdom completely upped the tempo, and boosted by the introduction of playmaker Tony Brosnan, and Graham O’Sullivan in the 49th minute, Jack O’Connor’s men scored 2-3 without response in the space of six minutes to open up a 13-point lead heading into the final 15 minutes.
Brian Ó Beaglaoich had made easing pickings of the Roscommon defence with a superb run before finding David Clifford for Kerry’s first game. The Kingdom never looked back from here on in.
By the time Paul Geaney found the net, it was Kerry's game to lose.
Kerry were a class apart in the final quarter and when Gavin White scored his side’s third goal with five minutes to go, it was a 14-point game.
Late two-pointers from substitutes Conor Cox and Diarmuid Murtagh made the scoreboard an easier reading for the Roscommon faithful, but Kerry were well-worth their win, despite a less than impressive overall performance.
Roscommon face Leinster runners-up Meath in Moffatt Dr Hyde Park in two weeks' time while Kerry face a trip to SuperValu Páiric Uí Chaoimh to take on Cork.
Kerry: Shane Ryan (0-01 ’45); Dylan Casey, Jason Foley, Tom O’Sullivan; Brian Ó Beaglaoich (0-01), Mike Breen, Gavin White (1-00); Diarmuid O’Connor (0-02), Barry Dan O’Sullivan; Joe O’Connor (0-02), Seán O’Shea (0-07, 2tpf, 1f), Micheál Burns; David Clifford (1-03, 1tpf), Paul Geaney (1-01, 0-01m), Dylan Geaney.
Subs: Tony Brosnan (0-01) for Geaney, Graham O’Sullivan for Burns (both 49), Killian Spillane for Clifford (62), Tadhg Morley for Ó Beaglaoich, Mark O’Shea for O’Sullivan (both 63)
Roscommon: Conor Carroll; Niall Higgins, Brian Stack (0-01), David Murray; Senan Lambe, Ronan Daly (0-03, 1tp), John McManus; Eddie Nolan (0-01), Keith Doyle (0-01); Dylan Ruane, Enda Smith, Conor Hand; Daire Cregg (0-01), Ben O’Carroll (0-02), Ciaráin Murtagh (0-02, 1f)
Subs: Diarmuid Murtagh (0-03, 1tp) for Doyle (42), Colm Neary for Ruane (52), Shane Killoran for Smith Ciarán Lennon for Lambe (both 55), Conor Cox (0-03, 1tp, 0-1f) for Hand (58)
Referee: David Coldrick (Meath)
