Chris Nolan starred for Carlow with 1-06 from play as Tom Mullaly's side got their Allianz Hurling League 2A campaign off to a perfect start in a sunny, but windy, Tralee.
Aided by a strong breeze, blowing into the Horan’s end, the Barrowsiders took a comfortable 1-14 to 0-07 lead into the half-time break thanks to a Nolan goal inside the third minute, before Carlow extended their winning advantage to 12, with their second half goals coming through Martin Kavanagh and Fiachra Fitzpatrick.
Kerry, without their talisman Shane Conway who missed the tie due to injury, faced a very strong breeze in the opening half, faced an early uphill battle after Carlow scored 1-06 without response inside the first 15 minutes to open up a nine-point lead - 1-06 to 0-00 - by the end of the first quarter.
Between them, Carlow stars Nolan and Kavanagh scored 2-15 between them.
After referee Niall Malone gave the visitors an early free for a thrown ball, Carlow captain Kevin McDonald opened the scoring for the Joe McDonagh champions – a sign of things to come.
Carlow raised the green flag inside three minutes through Nolan who collected a superb ball into the 20-metre line by Conor Kehoe who’d won the ball in midfield before the Mount Leinster Rangers man burst through the Kerry defence, showing great strength before batting the sliotar into the far corner of the net.
Two minutes later, Kehoe turned from provider to scorer to put five between the sides – 1-03 to 0-00 in favour of the visitors.
Kerry’s first score came in the 16th minute – the lively Dan Goggin slotted over to put a much-needed end to Carlow’s run of seven scores in a row.
Carlow, however, scored seven of the next 13 points as the visitors took a 10-point into the break.
Credit to Kerry, the hosts kept plugging away against the strong breeze and scores from Fionán MacKessy, Darragh Shanahan and Goggin gave Stephen Molumphy something to build on for the second half.
Carlow had the last say of the opening 35 minutes as Nolan extended his tally to 1-05 as referee Niall Malone signalled for half-time.
Kerry, boosted by the strong breeze, responded well after the restart and two quick-fire Maurice O’Connor points reduced the deficit to eight by the 37th minute.
However, the result was put beyond doubt as early as the 44th when Carlow left half-back Fiachra Fitzpatrick found the net after a superb James Doyle pass split a stretched Kerry defence. It was Carlow 2-16 Kerry 0-09 with 25 minutes to go.
Kavanagh added to Kerry’s woes with Carlow’s third goal two minutes from time to round off a one-sided game and an impressive afternoon for Mullally's charges in Tralee.
Kerry: Louis Dee; Flor McCarthy, Ronan Walsh, Darragh Shanahan (0-01); Evan Murphy, Fionán Mackessy (capt) (0-04), Daithi Griffin (0-01); Kyle O’Connor, Maurice O’Connor (0-02); Michael Leane (0-01), Gavin Dooley, Killian Hayes; Brandon Barrett (0-03, 0-03f), Tom Doyle, Dan Goggin (0-03)
Subs: Niall Mulcahy (0-03) for Dooley, Eric Leen for McCarthy (both half time), Tomás O’Connor for Walsh (48), Niall O’Mahony for Doyle (57), Felim O’Sullivan (0-01) for Barrett (69), Morgan Madden for O’Sullivan (70)
Carlow: Brian Tracey; Paul Doyle, Dion Wall, Jack McCullagh; Tony Lawlor, Kevin McDonald (capt) (0-02, 0-01f), Fiachra Fitzpatrick (1-00); Conor Kehoe (0-04), James Doyle; John Michael Nolan (0-01), Chris Nolan (1-06), Martin Kavanagh (1-09, 0-05f); Fiach O’Toole, Jake Doyle, Sean Joyce
Subs: Jon Nolan for O’Toole (55 ), Niall Bolger for McMullagh (63 ), Ciaran Kavanagh for Doyle (66 ), Richard Coady for Nolan (70), John Doyle for Fitzpatrick (70+4 )
Referee: Niall Malone (Clare)
