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Kerry make statement of intent with emphatic win over Armagh
LAST UPDATE | 20 Jun
Kerry 4-18
Armagh 0-17
ALL-IRELAND CHAMPIONS Kerry delivered their clearest statement of intent that they’re in the mood for back-to-back glory by crushing Armagh in Killarney.
This Round 3 clash surprisingly turned into a cakewalk for the hosts, with David Clifford producing a trademark man-of-the-match performance, finishing with 1-10.
With the entire contest flipping on the back of Paul Geaney’s goal five seconds from the end of the first half, Armagh were left stunned to be six points behind (2-8 to 0-8) at half-time.
Joe O’Connor’s rocket to the back of the net for Kerry’s third green flag in the 45th minute (3-11 to 0-9) essentially made it game over.
Earlier in the afternoon, and in a lifeless beginning to proceedings, it was Armagh who got off to the better start, building a three-point lead (0-4 by 0-1) by the tenth minute.
Ross McQuillan, Oisín Conaty and Jason Duffy were all heavily involved, before a passive Kerry struck for the game’s opening goal just three minutes later.
A quickly-taken side-line saw Graham O’Sullivan find Dylan Geaney, and his incisive through-ball released David Clifford to round Ethan Rafferty and slot home from an acute angle.
The visitors were more than holding their own around the middle, despite Sean O’Brien’s excellence in the air, and further McQuillan and Duffy points had Armagh ahead (0-6 to 1-2) on 20 minutes.
Dylan Geaney then stepped up to the plate for the Kingdom with three points on the trot, including a superb orange flag score, but, against the breeze, Armagh were happy to stay in touch.
Just three points adrift entering the last minute of the half, however, things went badly awry for the Ulster champions with a self-inflicted calamity.
Joe McElroy was turned over in attack with the net-minder up the park and, from Jason Foley’s hurried clearance, David Clifford broke it for captain Paul Geaney to roll home a goal from just inside 45 metres.
Six points down heading into the second period, Armagh needed to burst out of the starting blocks, but that never materialised as Kerry cruised through the gears.
With O’Connor’s thunderbolt, and both Gavin White and Sean O’Shea introduced off the bench, everything was rosy for the winners, with sub Keith Evans audaciously chipping the fourth goal late on.
KERRY: S Murphy; P Murphy, J Foley 0-1, D Casey; B Ó Beaglaoich, M Breen, G O’Sullivan 0-1; M O’Shea, S O’Brien; J O’Connor 1-0, P Clifford, D O’Connor; D Clifford 1-10 (1tpf, 0-2fs, 1tp), P Geaney 1-1, D Geaney 0-5 (1tp).
Subs: G White for Ó Beaglaoich (52), S O’Shea for P Geaney (54), K Evans 1-0 for O’Brien (56), E Looney for Murphy (61), T Brosnan for O’Shea (temp 61-70), A Heinrich for Casey (65).
ARMAGH: E Rafferty 0-2(tpf); P McGrane, A McKay, G Murphy; P Burns, T Kelly, J Óg Burns; A Murnin 0-2(tp), J McElroy; C McConville 0-1(f), D McMullan, R McQuillan 0-3; C Turbitt 0-2 (0-1f), J Duffy 0-2, O Conaty 0-4 (1tp).
Subs: O O’Neill 0-1(f) for J Óg Burns (47), T McCormack for McElroy (47), C O’Neill for McConville (52), R Grugan for McKay (61), G McCabe for Turbitt (65).
REF: D Coldrick (Meath).
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