Kerry claimed their 83rd Munster Senior Football title at Limerick’s expense with a comprehensive 1-28 to 0-8 win in Fitzgerald Stadium.
Sean O’Shea topped the list of scorers for the hosts with 0-6 as they move directly into the All-Ireland quarter-finals.
Limerick face into the qualifiers where their opponents will be decided after the first round of games next weekend.
Kerry led 0-12 to 0-3 at the break in a game where Limerick had just four scores from play.
Things looked ominous from the start when Killian Spillane curled over a beauty from his weaker foot. But two wides followed from the Kingdom as Limerick eased into the contest.
Josh Ryan got Limerick off the mark with a 45′ after seven minutes and the sides were level.
Three quickfire points from Kerry after their third wide had them 0-4 to 0-1 to the good after a quarter of an hour but it could have been worse for Limerick when Tony Brosnan blazed a brilliant goal chance wide.
Iain Corbett had Limerick’s second after eighteen to halve the deficit, finishing off a lovely team move with a left legged effort.
Paudie Clifford and Paul Geaney responded with their first scores of the day. Spillane added to his tally, this time to the left to leave it 0-7 to 0-2 in favour of Kerry after 23 minutes.
Ryan, from a difficult angle had his second, a gorgeous free out of the hands out on the sideline.
But Kerry responded immediately as Gavin White soloed the length of the field before fisting over. Spillane added his third with Sean O’Shea grabbing his first from play as the clock ticked into the red with Limerick trailing by seven.
Brian O’Beaglaioch pushed the lead out to eight and again it should have been more but Brosnan was stopped again, this time Donal O’Sullivan made a brilliant intervention with his left leg.
Sean O’Shea converted the resulting 45′ to end the half at 0-12 to 0-3 in Kerry’s favour.
Robbie Bourke replaced his brother Hugh at the half but Kerry started as they ended the first with Geaney getting his third.
Tom O’Sullivan got in on the act after 38 minutes as Kerry pushed 0-14 to 0-3 in front.
Kerry kicked a further four scores without response to move into a fifteen point lead.
Those scores came from Clifford, Brosnan, Stephen O’Brien and O’Shea.
Corbett responded but Kerry then travelled the length of the field with minimal effort before finding an unmarked Spilane who fired past O’Sullivan in the Limerick goal.
Munster Senior Football Final
48 | Goal Kerry. Spillane finds himself in an ocean of space in the D and fires into the net.
Limerick 0-4
Kerry 1-18— Jack Neville (@JackNev30) May 28, 2022
Cian Sheehan and Brosnan then traded points as the game opened up.
Adrian Spillane scored immediately for Kerry after coming on and was followed by points from Brosnan, O’Shea, Geaney and O’Sullivan.
Sheehan hit back with his second for Limerick, taking their tally to six overall on the hour mark. Geaney, who was superb throughout, replied with his third from a mark.
Micheal Burns also made a scoring impact off the bench as Tom O’Sullivan grabbed his third from corner back as the game entered into injury time.
Gordon Browne, fired over for Limerick to make it 1-2 to 0-7 with a minute of the extras played.
Sheehan kicked the final score of the game but it was too little too late as Kerry lifted the Munster title.
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