KERRY chief Mark Bourke was relieved the Kingdom got on the board by securing their first win of the Lidl NFL Division 1 campaign at SETU Arena.
Goals in either half from Niamh Ní Chonchúir and Siofra O’Shea saw the Kingdom bounce back from a first-round loss at holders Armagh.
Kingdom chief Bourke, who replaced Declan Quill and Darragh Long ahead of the new season, said: “Getting any points on the board in this division is a relief. We’re up and running.
“We lost our shape in the first half because of the wind and the team we were playing.
“In the second half, we committed to keeping four up. It opened up the game and we saw some gaps.”
Waterford manager and Kerry native Tomás Mac an tSaoir, whose side beat Kildare last time out, hailed the display of debut keeper Gemma Corcoran.
The 16-year-old is the first Ballysaggart player to line out for the Déise at senior level and capped her bow with a couple of great saves.
Former Kingdom netminder Mac an tSaoir said: “An outstanding performance for a girl of her age — her bravery to come out and block two shots in the second half when Kerry were getting a squeeze on.
“Her courage and her bravery, that’s what she’s been showing in training.
“She has a great future ahead of her.”
The Munster rivals were level four times before O’Shea’s punched effort on 45 minutes set the Kingdom on their way.
Kerry trailed 0-6 to 1-2 at the interval, with the goal arriving on six minutes when a point attempt by Ní Chonchúir dropped into the corner of the Déise net.
The Kingdom made a triple substitution at the break.
One of those arrivals, Danielle O’Leary, kicked them into the lead four minutes into the second period after Rachel Dwyer got the leveller.
On 40 minutes, O’Shea bravely punched the ball to the net just ahead of advancing Déise keeper Corcoran to make it 2-4 to 0-6. Ciara McCarthy added a point.
Emma Murray, Lauren McGregor and Brid McMaugh reduced the deficit to two and Corcoran made two stunning saves from O’Leary.
But a late point from captain Anna Galvin sealed victory for Kerry.
WATERFORD: G Corcoran; C Murray, R Casey, M Ryan; K McGrath, E Murray 0-2, Á O’Neill; E Power, H Power; B McMaugh 0-2, K Hogan 0-2f, K Murray; L McGregor 0-2f, C Walsh 0-1, C Fennell. Subs: A Power for Fennell 44 mins, L Ni Arta for Walsh 57.
KERRY: ME Bolger; R Smith, D Kearney, R Rahilly; A O’Connell, K Cronin, A Galvin 0-2; K Sugrue; A Dillane; N Carmody, C Evans, N Ní Chonchúir 1-0; S O’Shea 1-1, R Dwyer 0-1, K Brosnan. Subs: M O’Connell for Ní Chonchúir 23 mins, C McCarthy 0-1 for Sugrue h-t, E Lynch for Rahilly h-t, D O’Leary 0-1 for Brosnan h-t, J Lucey for Dwyer 40, L Boyle for Carmody 47, M Higgins for A O’Connell 57, N Quinn for Evans 58.
REFEREE: B Redmond (Wexford).
