2024 Munster Ladies Football Senior Championship – Kerry 2-14 Tipperary 0-5

Kerry defeated Tipperary by 2-14 to 0-5 in Round 1 of the Munster Ladies Football Senior Championship on Saturday April 20th at Fitzgerald Stadium Killarney.

TG4 Munster Senior Championship Round 1

Kerry 2-14 Tipperary 0-5

Issued on behalf of Munster LGFA

Danielle O’Leary bagged eight points as Kerry had a 15-point victory over Tipperary at Fitzgerald Stadium in Killarney in Round 1 of the TG4 Munster Senior Championship.

O’Leary was simply unstoppable, notching five points in the first half, as Tipperary had no answer to her pace and finishing power.
A below-par opening period from both sides saw Kerry take a flattering 1-5 to 0-4 lead in at the short whistle, with the five-point haul from O’Leary a major highlight.

The home side’s passes weren’t going to hand in the opening exchanges but after a series of turnovers they finally got off the mark in the sixth minute with the brilliant O’Leary popping over after an assist from hard-working skipper Niamh Carmody.

O’Leary slotted her second a minute later before Aishling Moloney hit a monster effort from 40 metres to get Tipperary’s first score.

Katie Brosnan fed the rampant O’Leary for her 3rd on the quarter hour mark but Emma Morrissey, a very effective performer on the wing hit a fine individual effort to bring Tipperary to with a single score.

Kerry hit two on the trot with O’Leary once again providing the finishes, and with Deirdre Kearney dominating at the back the game appeared to be going to script for the hot favourites.

Tipperary were resilient and hit back through an Aishling Moloney free and Emma Morrissey with her second from play and with a minute left in the opening half Kerry led by 0-5 to 0-4.

There was one last act to the half though and as Tipperary attempted to build from the back, goalkeeper Lauren Fitzpatrick was turned over in the middle of the field by Niamh Carmody.

The Kerry captain fed Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh, and with an empty goal the Kerry sharpshooter shot to the net from 25 metres to see Kerry take a 1-5 to 0-4 lead into the dressing room.

Ciara O’Brien, O’Leary, Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh from a poor kick out, Carmody with her deserved first, and O’Leary with a fine individual effort for her seventh, pushed Kerry into a 1-10 to 0-4 lead before Anna Rose Kennedy got one back for Tipperary in the 50th minute.

Substitutes Lorraine Scanlon, Aoife Dillane and Niamh Ní Chonchúir slotted points before another sub Emma Dineen struck for a goal to emphasise the strength of the Kerry bench.

The final score of the game fittingly fell to Danielle O’Leary and the Kerry victory was complete.

Scorers-Kerry: D O’Leary 0-8, L Ní Mhuircheartaigh 1-1, E Dineen 1-0, N Carmody, C O’Brien, L Scanlon, A Dillane & N Ní Chonchúir 0-1 each.
Tipperary: E Morrissey 0-2, A Moloney 0-2 (1f), A.R. Kennedy 0-1.

Kerry: M.E. Bolger; C Murphy, E Lynch, C O’Brien; A O’Connell, K Cronin, C Lynch; M O’Connell, D Kearney; A Galvin, N Carmody, A Harrington; K Brosnan, L Ní Mhuircheartaigh, D O’Leary
Subs: H O’Donoghue for K Brosnan 38, N Ní Chonchúir for C O’Brien 42, E Dineen for A Harrington 45, L Scanlon for A Galvin 48, A Dillane for C Murphy 52.

Tipperary: L Fitzpatrick; E Kelly, L Spillane, E Cronin; C O’Dwyer, M Curley, S English; L Morrissey, A.R. Kennedy; E Morrissey, A McGuigan, A Moloney; N Towey, K Downey, E McCarthy
Subs: C English for N Towey 38, S Ryan for E McCarthy 56, H Spillane for K Downey 58, A Downey for A Moloney 60.

Referee: Patrick Smith (Waterford).

Match Preview

Saturday April 20

TG4 Munster Senior Championship – Round 1

Kerry v Tipperary; Fitzgerald Stadium, Killarney, 1.45pm

Kerry are smarting from their Lidl NFL Division 1 Final defeat to Armagh but will be confident of getting back to winning ways against Tipperary in the opening round of the Munster championship.
Kerry lost out to Cork in last year’s provincial decider and the Kingdom will target Munster silverware before tackling the All-Ireland series.

Joint-managers Declan Quill and Darragh Long have made four changes in personnel to the team that lost out to Armagh at Croke Park.
Ciara O’Brien, Amy Harrington, Katie Brosnan and Danielle O’Leary come into the starting line-up, with Niamh Ní Chonchúir, Lorraine Scanlon, Hannah O’Donoghue and Emma Dineen dropping out.

Tipperary finished their Division 2 campaign with defeat to Donegal last month and manager Peter Creedon has made five changes to the starting line-up that lined out against the Ulster county.
Lauren Fitzpatrick, named on the Lidl NFL Division 2 team of the year, returns in place of Ciara Dwan in goal, while there are starts for Elaine Kelly, Lucy Spillane, Emma Morrissey and Emer McCarthy. Nora Martin is nursing a shoulder injury, while Katelyn Downey, Heather Spillane and Emer McCarthy, who also lined out against Donegal, are named on the bench.

📢 Senior Team Announcement 📢

Tipperary Ladies Senior Manager Peter Creedon, has announced his starting 15 for their First game of the Munster Championship against Kerry Saturday 20th April
We wish all our Tipperary Ladies, Peter and his Management Team the very best of luck. pic.twitter.com/Vz8MnGuRem

— Tipp Ladies Football (@TippLadiesFB) April 19, 2024

Tipperary: L Fitzpatrick; E Kelly, L Spillane, E Cronin; C O’Dwyer, M Curley (capt.), S English; L Morrissey, A.R. Kennedy; E Morrissey, A McGuigan, A Moloney; N Towey, M Creedon, E McCarthy.

The Kerry team to face Tipperary in Round 1 of the Munster LGFA Senior Championship has been named #ProperFan Tickets 👇https://t.co/mAbNBFZEu8 pic.twitter.com/UGHHO6Bs2u

— KerryLGFA (@kerryladiesfoot) April 19, 2024

Kerry: M.E. Bolger; C Murphy, E Lynch, C O’Brien; A O’Connell, K Cronin, C Lynch; M O’Connell, D Kearney; A Galvin, N Carmody (capt.), A Harrington; K Brosnan, L Ní Mhuircheartaigh, D O’Leary.