Kerry minors are into the Munster final after beating Waterford by 1-15 to 2-6 in Killarney tonight.

The hosts, who have successfully negotiated the back-door route to advance to the provincial decider, eventually got into their stride to assume a commanding 1-9 to 0-4 interval advantage.

The visitors certainly weren't overwhelmed in the opening stages and they were very much in touch after five minutes, trailing by the odd point from three.

But the red-hot favourites then took control and had roared six points clear by the midway stage in the first half, 1-5 to 0-2. St Senan's clubman David Foran fired the goal in the ninth minute before Conor Keane, Jack Savage and Killian Spillane added Kerry points.

Corner forward Keane and No.11 Savage kept the scoreboard ticking over while Willie Hahessy replied with a couple of nice points for Na Deise, to leave eight in it at the short whistle.

There was an amazing start to the second half as Waterford were reduced to 14 men when Tomas Cooney picked up a second yellow card but Tom Devine then fired a goal to close the gap to six, 1-10 to 1-4.

A Paul O'Connor free kept the underdogs just about within striking distance coming up to the three-quarters mark but Kerry had restored their eight-point cushion by the 48th minute.

Waterford - who pipped Limerick in a first-round thriller in Dungarvan last month - refused to roll over but a missed penalty seven minutes from the end pretty much summed up their night.

The Decies were awarded another late penalty and this time Conor Gleeson found the back of the net in the 59th minute to reduce the arrears to six, 1-15 to 2-6.

But they ran out of time and it was the Kingdom - who lost to Cork in the first round after a replay and then got the better of Clare - who booked their place in the final, with four games played already.

Kerry - S Ryan; B Sugrue, C O Luing, F Clifford; M Flaherty, P O Conchuir, D Foran (1-0); K Murphy, C O'Connor; M Burns (0-1), G Horan, K Spillane (0-1); C Keane (0-4), E O Conchuir, J Savage (0-8, 6f). Subs: T O'Sullivan for B Sugrue, B O'Sullivan for K Murphy, T Brosnan (0-1f) for J Savage.

Waterford - C Brown; J Mullanney, T Cooney, D Ryan; M Shine, B Looby, B O'Keeffe; C Curran, T Devine (1-0); W Hahessy (0-2), C Gleeson (1-2, 1 pen, 2f), J Curry; M Troy, K Daly, P O'Connor (0-2, 1f). Subs: J Allan for K Daly, C Murray for M Troy, M Casey for J Curry.

Referee - K Murphy. Tweet

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