A brace of first half goals from full forward Patrick Curtin helped holders Kerry to a 3-7 to 0-10 victory over Tipperary in their Munster MFC first round clash at the Gaelic Grounds on Wednesday night. Just two minutes had elapsed when Curtin latched onto a through ball from Kevin Flynn to find the net. Sean Carey replied with two pointed frees for Tipp before Curtin claimed his second major in the 19th minute. Carey and Timothy O'Sullivan exchanged points to leave Kerry ahead by 2-3 to 0-3 at half-time. Alan Lonergan reduced the deficit with Tipp's first point from play immediately after the restart, but poor marking at the back then allowed John Buckley in for the Kingdom's third goal. Two points from Lonergan and one from Carey closed the gap once again before Curtin and Eoin Kennedy hit late points to ensure a safe passage into the semi-finals for the reigning champions. Scorers - Kerry: P Curtin 2-2, J Buckley 1-0, E Kennedy 0-2, J Doolan, T O'Sullivan and K Flynn 0-1 each. Tipperary: S Carey 0-6, A Lonergan 0-3, C Sweeney 0-1. Tweet

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