Defending champions Armagh outscored Kerry by 3-06 to 0-06 in the second half to claim a 3-11 to 1-13 victory as the hosts ran out of legs at a windy Austin Stack Park in Tralee in the first round of the Lidl National Football League.
The introduction of substitutes Blaithín Mackin, who struck for 1-01, and Rebecca Cunningham, with a goal, made all the difference, whilst goalkeeper Anna Carr was also in superb form.
TG4 All-Ireland Senior champions Kerry had the advantage of the wind in the first half but It was Armagh, league champions for the first time in 2024, that made the brighter start when late replacement Eimear McGeown popped over in the first minute, although Kerry were soon on level terms when Síofra O'Shea slotted a free following a foul on captain Anna Galvin.
In a repeat of last year's top-flight decider, O’Shea put the Kingdom 0-02 to 0-01 to the good in the fifth minute but Niamh Reel replied two minutes later for the visitors to level matters.
Eve Lavery then slotted a free that she earned herself and Armagh went two to the good with Reel once again doing the damage, although Rachel Dwyer did get one back for the hosts after a fine run and assist by the marauding Aoife Dillane.
Lavery stretched Armagh’s advantage to two in the 18th minute but from here on Kerry dominated the half, with O’Shea striking for a brilliant goal in the 20th minute after excellent approach play from the impressive Niamh Ní Chonchúir and Jadyn Lucey.
Lucey followed up with a score of her own, but Armagh were still dangerous and Mary Ellen Bolger was forced into a brilliant one-handed save from McGeown with her shot seemingly destined for the top corner
The rest of the half belonged to Kerry and O’Shea with two points (one free) and Galvin on target as they took a 1-07 to 0-05 lead in at the half-time break.
Galvin went on a fine run and scored from the second-half throw-in but Armagh struck for three points on the trot from Lavery, McGeown Blaithín Mackin, fresh off the bench, to leave them three beind 1-08 to 0-08.
Carr made a fine double save from O’Shea and Lucey, and the latter saw yellow straight afterwards for a high challenge.
When O’Shea pointed for Kerry in the 45th minute to make it 1-13 to 0-09, it proved to be Kerry’s last score of the game with Carr making another fine save from Ní Chonchúir.
It was all Armagh from here on in. Reel hit a brace of points and that was followed by a splendid goal from Mackin before Cunningham struck for a scorcher in the 53rd minute.
The last goal of the contest came from Roisin Mulligan as Armagh had too much in the finish for a Kerry team that faded in the last quarter.
Kerry: M.E. Bolger; R Smith, D Kearney, F O’Donoghue; A O’Connell, K Cronin (0-01), A Dillane; M O’Connell, A Galvin (0-02); N Carmody, N Ní Chonchúir (0-01), C Evans (0-01); J Lucey (0-01), S O’Shea (1-06, 0-04fs), R Dwyer (0-01).
Subs: J Gill for Evans (44), C McCarthy for Smith (47), K Brosnan for Dwyer (47), K O’Connor for Ní Chonchúir (49), M Higgins for Lucey (55), N Ní Chonchúir for O’Connell (56), R Rahilly for O’Donoghue (58).
Armagh: A Carr; M Ferguson, L Kenny, C Towe; E Druse, L McConville, R Mulligan (1-00); N Coleman, C O’Hanlon (0-01); A McCoy, M Feehan, E Lavery (0-03, 0-1f); N Reel (0-04), M Lennon, E McGeown (0-02).
Subs: B Mackin (1-01) for Kenny (33), C McNally for Lennon (40), M McGann for Lavery (40), R Cunningham (1-00) for McGeown (52), N Henderson for Reel (55), C Garvey for Feehan (56).
Referee: J Murphy (Carlow).
