Round-up: Electric Ireland Leinster MHC
A general view of Echelon Park, Aughrim. Photo by Tyler Miller/Sportsfile
Electric Ireland Leinster MHC
Kerry 2-15 Carlow 0-9
Kildare 1-17 Wicklow 1-9
By Paul Keane
Kerry are up and running in the Electric Ireland Leinster MHC after getting the better of Carlow with a powerful second-half performance.
Both counties were chasing redemption after Round 1 defeats with Kerry losing to Laois and Carlow heavily defeated by Offaly.
Carlow had home advantage in Fenagh but Kerry scored the first four points of the game and never looked back.
Carlow didn't get on the scoresheet until the 12th minute when Daniel O'Neill pointed from a free.
Kerry responded with a Sean Ross O'Gorman point and the visitors hit the interval with a 0-7 to 0-3 lead.
O'Gorman stretched their advantage after the restart before Jason Gaynor grabbed Kerry's first goal in the 40th minute.
Stephen Shanahan all but secured the win for Kerry with their second goal five minutes later, opening up a nine-point advantage at that stage.
It was a big lead in a low-scoring game and further points from Shanahan, Ben O'Connor and Tadhg Diggin ensured a comfortable win for Kerry.
Meanwhile, Kildare were out of the blocks early too with a series of points from Cuan Óg MacAogain in their win over neighbours Wicklow.
Brian Murnane's Kildare came up short against Meath in Round 1 but made amends with the eight-point win at Echelon Park, Aughrim.
Kildare led by just 0-6 to 0-4 at half-time but turned in a powerful second-half display with further points from MacAogain helping to open up an 11-point lead.
Wicklow pulled back a 48th minute goal and were just five points down in stoppage time when Oisín McAffee wrapped it up for the Lilywhites with their goal.
