The scoreline crediting Kerry with a fourteen point winning margin was hardly sign-posted after seven minutes play of this Munster minor football final at Limerick yesterday. Limerick dramatically set the pace with a goal and a point without reply during the opening minutes. Kerry's initial response was one of uncertainty, ominously attaining wides rather than scores with regularity.

However, the Limerick defence cracked under mounting pressure, with a wing back Willie Kelly, inadvertantly sending Galvin clear for a goal chance. He finished in style by sending Dave Dineen the wrong way with a great body swerve before belting to the net. Kerry, hanging onto a 1-5 to 1-4 lead, could not rid themselves of wayward finishing and started the second-half with another harmless wide to which Ed Scully replied with a point to reduce the Limerick leeway.

Brendan O'Connor though, an industrious full forward, hit a brilliant penalty to the net with three minutes remaning to boast his personal tally to 1-5.

KERRY: N Hobbert; S O'Sullivan T McKenna N Corbett; M Beckett S Hegarty P McCarthy; M O'Shea J Sugrue; W Harmon (0-4) N Kennelly (1-2) T Kennelly P Galvin (2-0) B O'Connor (1- 5 goal pen.) K Lynch (0-1). Subs: L Higgins for T Kennelly 56 mins.

LIMERICK: T Stack; D Dineen P Fitzgerald D Riall; W Kelly (0-1) B Begley P Donnelly; T Carroll C Fitzgerald; P Bowles (0-1) P Ahern(0-1) A Hartnett; D Brouder (1-0) E Scully (0-4 two frees) C Hickley. Subs: J Frawley for Donnelly 28 mins. A Ryan for Hartnett 45 mins).

Referee T Meehan (Tipperary).