Conway shines as Kerry cruise

A POWER-PACKED display in the second half helped Kerry to a comfortable win against Down in the first round of the U-21 ‘B’ hurling championship in Mullingar on Saturday.

The first of two successful 65s by Mark Fisher put Down ahead in the third minute.

A sideline cut from Shane Conway in the 15th minute put Kerry 0-7 to 0-2 ahead, but an opportunistic goal a minute later from Tim Prenter kept Down in touch.

The sides were level at the end of normal time, but injurytime points from Eoin Ross and Maurice O’Connor ensured that Kerry led by 0-10 to 1-5 at the break.

O’Connor opened the scoring in the second half with a goal after 90 seconds.

The Kingdom added a further 1-6 without reply by the end of the third quarter, the goal from a Shane Conway penalty in the 37 th minute.

The issue was no longer in doubt and a goal from substitute Ronan Blair on the hour mark was merely a consolation score for the Mournemen.

SCORERS – Kerry: S Conway 1-6 (1-0pen, 5f); M O’Connor 1-2; J Conway 0-3; E Ross, F Mackessy, B Barrett 0-2 each; E Murphy, M Leane, B O’Mahony 0-1each. Down: T Prenter 1-2; Cormac Coulter 0-4 (4f); R Blair 1-0; M Fisher 0-2; P Savage 0-1. KERRY – A O’Sullivan; N O’Mahony, J Diggins, E Leen; E Ross, F Mackessy, E Murphy; T O’Connor, M Leane; G Fennessy, B O’Mahony, J Conway; M O’Connor, B Barrett, S Conway. Subs: BLyonsfor Leen (39), J McKenna for Barrett (45), R O’Donovan for O’Mahony (52), J O’Sullivan for Fennessy (54), K O’Regan for S Conway (58).

DOWN – H Flynn; M Mee, E Coulter, T Murray; D McCartney, M Fisher, Cathal Coulter; L Savage, PJ Davidson; Cormac Coulter, J Murphy, P Savage; J Doran, D Sands, T Prenter. Subs: R Blair for Doran (42), M McKey for Murphy (43), P Miskimmon for Davidson (46), N Lennon for McCartney (48).

REF – N Wall (Cork).