Full forward Paul Geaney bagged 1-5 as Kerry recorded a 1-17 to 0-13 victory over 14-man Derry at Celtic Park.
The hosts battled all the way in front of an attendance of 2,991, but the dismissal of captain Mark Lynch 20 minutes from the end effectively put paid to any hopes they had of registering their first win of the campaign. Instead, it's Kerry who have got their season up and running.
The Kingdom had the edge at the end of a high-scoring first-half, 0-10 to 0-7. A successful Lynch free had the sides level at 0-5 each after 19 minutes but the All-Ireland champions kicked five of the next seven points to close in on victory before the short whistle sounded.
Brian Sheehan's second successive converted free of the afternoon propelled the winners into a double-scores lead before Danny Heavron and Barry John Keane swapped scores - 0-5 to 0-3 after 16 minutes.
Back came the Oak Leaf with points from Gerard O'Kane and that Lynch free, following a foul on Enda Lynn, but a brace of Sheehan frees and a superb solo point from wing back Jack Sherwood fired the visitors three ahead. Before the break, Keane (free) cancelled out a Ciaran McFaul score and Stephen O'Brien fisted the last score of the half in response to a Benny Heron free.
Upon the restart, a couple of converted Eoin Bradley frees pared the gap down to the minimum but Eamonn Fitzmaurice's men responded with points from Sheehan (a sumptuous free) and Paul Geaney (2) before the hosts had captain Lynch sent to the line.
Frees from McFaul and Bradley gave the 14 men hope but the game was done and dusted when the on-song Geaney flashed the ball to the Derry net after Sheehan had nailed yet another free - 1-14 to 1-11.
Geaney brought his tally for the day to 1-4 after Heavron and Bradley (free) pointed for the never-say-die hosts; Sheehan's converted free thereafter was his seventh point of the day.
The only thing remaining to be decided was who would finish the match as top scorer and the honour went to Geaney, who clipped over the last score as Kerry recorded their first win of the year on the second Sunday of February.
Kerry - B Kealy; P Kilkenny, M Griffin, F Fitzgerald; J Lyne, J Sherwood (0-1), P Murphy; D Moran, J Buckley; M Geaney, B Sheehan (0-7, 5f, 1'45), T Walsh; S O'Brien (0-2), P Geaney (1-5), BJ Keane (0-2, 1f). Subs: A Maher for T Walsh, K Young for P Kilkenny, D Walsh for M Geaney, K O'Leary for BJ Keane, P O'Connor for F Fitzgerald (BC).
Derry - T Mallon; O Duffy, N Holly, J O'Kane; K Johnston (0-1), G O'Kane (0-1), SL McGoldrick; M Lynch (0-2f), C McAtamney; C McFaul (0-2, 1f), B Heron (0-1f), E Lynn; M Craig, T O'Brien, D Heavron (0-2). Subs: E Bradley (0-4f) for T O'Brien, D Brown for J O'Kane, E McGuckin for M Craig, N McNicholl for C McAtamney, C Murphy for C McFaul (BC), J Kearney for E Lynn.
Referee - J McQuillan.
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