Senior footballers make impressive start to campaign

DUBLIN 2-14 KERRY 0-14

Holders Dublin opened their NFL Division 1 campaign in impressive fashion to easily account for Kerry in Saturday night's clash at Croke Park.

An excellent crowd of 30,107 turned out for a repeat of last year's All-Ireland decider and certainly the Dublin supporters would have departed happy following the Dubs convincing display.

While some of the personnel might have changed in both starting selections from last September's duel the Dublin defence once again frustrated the Kingdom, which Mick Fitzsimons winning his head-to-head with Tommy Walsh, while when in attack mode Dublin's greater pace and running game carved open the Kerry defence on numerous occasions in both halves.

In fact had the Dubs enjoyed greater fortune and shown most clinical ruthlessness they could have prevailed by an even more comfortable margin.

Late on both Johnny Small and Jack McCaffrey were denied by the woodwork while in the opening half Dean Rock and Tomás Brady spurned goal-scoring opportunities.

Very positive news for Dublin was the form of the returning Paul Mannion, who missed out last year due to studies in Japan, as he caused plenty of problems for the Kerry full-back line.

Also up front Paddy Andrews performed like a player on top of his game filled with confidence as his tallied 1-4 in a strong individual display.

The sides were tied at half-time 0-7 each but Dublin had missed the better goal-scoring opportunities.

Andrews goal arrived in the 42nd minute and nine minutes later Diarmuid Connolly coolly slotted home a penalty after the rampaging James McCarthy had been hauled down.

SCORERS - Dublin: P Andrews 1-4, D Rock 0-7 (0-4f), D Connolly 1-0 (1-0 pen), T Brady, P Mannion, C Costello 0-1 each. Kerry: BJ Keane 0-4 (0-4f), D O'Sullivan 0-3, D Moran 0-2 (0-1f), T Walsh, J Buckley, D Walsh, S O'Brien, B O'Sullivan 0-1 each.

DUBLIN: S Cluxton; David Byrne, M Fitzsimons, J Cooper; Davy Byrne, C O'Sullivan, J Small; J McCarthy, D Bastick; T Brady, D Connolly, C Kilkenny; P Mannion, D Rock, P Andrews. Subs: J McCaffrey for Davy Byrne, E O Conghaile for Bastick, C Costello for Brady, C Reddin for Kilkenny, D Daly for O'Sullivan, C O'Callaghan for Mannion.

KERRY: B Kealy; S Enright, M Griffin, B O Beaglaoich; K Young, P Murphy, F Fitzgerald; D Moran, T Walsh; P O'Connor, J Buckley, D Walsh; BJ Keane, D O'Sullivan, S O'Brien. Subs: P Kilkenny for Griffin, J Lyne for D Walsh, B O'Sullivan for Buckley, P O'Connor for Fitzgerald, G O'Grady for Keane, C Cox for T Walsh.

REF: E Kinsella (Laois).