Kerry staged a second-half recovery to edge out Derry by 0-15 to 1-9 at Tralee.

The win comes as a relief for the All-Ireland champions, as it is their first of the campaign. It was disappointing for Derry, who managed just three points after the break.

Damian Cassidy's side led by 1-6 to 0-6 at the interval with the goal coming at just the right time from Eoin Bradley after Kerry had hit four successive points.

Paddy Bradley fired wind-assisted Derry ahead from a beautiful second-minute free after a rash challenge on his brother Eoin. Brian Mullen then hit a wide as the Oak Leafers endeavoured to double their advantage.

Both teams were playing very positive, committed football in the early exchanges but scores proved hard to come by. Eoin Bradley hit a wide, with the stiff breeze making shooting conditions difficult. But the No.14 was on hand to double the differential in the tenth minute.

In the 13th minute, Kieran Donaghay finally opened the All-Ireland champions' account with a nice score from play. Within 30 seconds, David O'Callaghan had the Kingdom level.

Aidan O'Donnell and Donaghy put Kerry ahead by 0-4 to 0-2 but Derry refused to lie down and a great goal from Eoin Bradley had the Ulster county back in front. However, the returning Colm Cooper levelled it up in the 19th minute from a free after Donaghy was fouled in front of the posts.

Eoin Bradley was causing the Kerry defence all kinds of difficulties and when he was pulled down again his brother Paddy had the simplest of tasks in restoring Derry's advantage.

Mullan and Cooper traded scores to leave Derry ahead by the minimum, 1-4 to 0-6, with eight minutes left in the first half.

Gerard O'Kane crept forward from wing back to put Derry two ahead once more with a fantastic long-range point and midfielder Fergal Doherty landed a brilliant point off the outside of his right boot to send the Oak Leaf County two in front.

Bradley hit an injury-time point to leave Derry deservedly ahead by three at the break. It could have been worse for the Kingdom had not their goalkeeper Brendan Kealy made an excellent save to divert Doherty's pile-driver off the crossbar close to the short whistle.

Centre forward David Moran drove over a morale-boosting point for Kerry just after the restart and Cooper landed another point as Kerry moved closer, making the most of the wind advantage. Jack O'Connor had introduced Marc O Se during the break.

But a Paddy Bradley free in the 42nd minute momentarily stopped Kerry's comeback in its tracks, 1-7 to 0-8.

The trusty No.13 then popped over a fine point from play to restore Derry's three-point cushion. Donaghy was almost in for a Kerry goal but Derry goalkeeper Barry Gillis reacted well to save his first-time shot.

A brace of frees from 'The Gooch' closed the gap to the minimum and Declan O'Sullivan struck Kerry's fourth point in as many minutes to send the winners ahead by one with 15 minutes left, 0-12 to 1-8.

Derry seemed to have levelled but the ball was waved wide by an umpire with the sun in his eyes.

Moran tapped over a fine Kerry point in the 62nd minute and Derry felt they should have had a free close to goal but there was nothing doing. Instead, Eoin Bradley picked up a yellow card, presumably for complaining.

Man of the Match Donaghy clipped over a sixth successive Kerry point as the hosts led by three with six minutes to play, 0-14 to 1-8.

Aidey McLaughlin pulled back a Derry free but sub Bryan Sheehan replied in kind at the other end in the final minute of normal time. Tweet

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