Kerry and Tipperary recorded impressive victories in round 1 of the TG4 All-Ireland Ladies Senior Football Championship qualifiers on Monday before the winners received tough round 2 matches.
All eyes were on Mayo following their recent reinstatement in the TG4 All-Ireland Ladies SFC but the Westerners bowed out in their first match as Kerry scored a 0-12 to 1-8 victory in the first match of a double-header in Banagher.
Cora Staunton scored 1-6 for Mayo but it wasn’t enough to defeat Kerry, who had a six-point haul from leading scorer Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh.
The first half was closely contested and level five times before the sides went in deadlocked at the interval, 0-5 apiece.
Staunton netted two minutes after the break with a smart finish but Kerry responded in brilliant style with a run of six unanswered points to surge 0-11 to 1-5 in front.
That scoring burst provided the platform for victory as the Kingdom held off a late rally from Mayo to clinch a famous one-point victory.
In the second game at the Offaly venue, Tipperary produced a brilliant attacking performance to crush Meath by 2-16 to 0-9.
Full-forward Patricia Hickey scored 2-4 while former All Star Edel Hanley kicked seven points for the Premier County.
At half-time, Tipp were eight points clear, 1-8 to 0-3 as Hickey notched 1-4 in the first half.
Elaine Duffy offered some resistance for Meath with a seven-point haul but Hickey’s second goal, set up by impressive substitute Gillian O’Brien, settled this tie as a contest midway through the second half.
Tipp’s reward is a second round qualifier meeting with Clare and the sides already met in this year’s Munster championship, when Clare overturned an eight-point half-time deficit to win with a powerful second half display.
Kerry will now play beaten Ulster finalists Armagh. The remaining second round ties will see Kildare take on beaten Leinster finalists Laois, with beaten Connacht finalists Sligo facing Tyrone.
TG4 All-Ireland Ladies Senior Football Championship round 1 qualifiers results:
Kerry 0-12 Mayo 1-8
Meath 0-9 Tipperary 2-16
Scorers for Kerry: L Ní Mhuircheartaigh 0-6, P Dennehy & S Houlihan 0-2 each, B Lane & L Scanlon 0-1 each.
Scorers for Mayo: C Staunton 1-6, M Carter & S Cafferkey 0-1 each.
Scorers for Meath: E Duffy 0-7, J Rispin & S Martin 0-1 each.
Scorers for Tipperary: P Hickey 2-4, E Hanley 0-7, G O’Brien 0-3, J Grant & A O’Gorman 0-1 each.
TG4 All-Ireland Ladies senior football championship round 2 draw:
Clare v Tipperary
Sligo v Tyrone
Armagh v Kerry
Laois v Kildare
