Kerry 2-21
Armagh 0-17

Paul Brennan reports from Austin Stack Park, Tralee

KERRY MIGHT JUST have eased their relegation worries to the extent that they can go to Galway next weekend and possibly not win and still survive as a Division 1 team.

That is how much this 10-point win over Armagh in Tralee on Saturday evening means to the Kingdom, who were more in need of a positive result in this All-Ireland semi-final rematch than the visitors were.

Quite how much that defeat in Croke Park last July fired up Kerry for this mid-March contest is one thing, but the hosts certainly went at Armagh like a team with a score to settle.

It took just 30 seconds for David Clifford to draw a fine save from Blaine Hughes with a stinging shot, and the home side went about their work with ruthless efficiency.

Clifford converted three close-range frees and brother Paudie followed up from play, and after an exchange of scores between Oisin O’Neill and Micheal Burns, Kerry’s first goal duly arrived.

Hughes botched a short kick-out, which was intercepted by David Clifford who set up Dylan Geaney to fire the ball past the Armagh goalkeeper to make it 1-5 to 0-1.

Geaney then set up Clifford for a point, and while Armagh mined a couple of scores from Rory Grugan and Conor Turbitt, Kerry remained relentless and ruthless, and a second goal inevitably arrived.

Paul Murphy and Joe O’Connor started the move out of the Kerry defence before Dylan Geaney and David Clifford linked up to set Burns through, before he was dumped to the ground by Oisin Conaty for a penalty.

Paudie Clifford took the spot kick low and precise past Hughes, and the home side added points from Paul Geaney, Joe O’Connor, Jason Foley and two from David Clifford to give Kerry a 2-13 to 0-6 half time lead.

Two early scores kicked Kerry’s lead out to 15 points early in the second half, so the best Armagh can take from the experience is that they won the last half an hour by 11 points to six.

Rory Grugan converted a couple of frees, Oisin O’Neill and Jarly Óg Burns tried to make things happen and Stefan Campbell came off the Armagh bench and scored two points.

Kerry got a tune out of Tony Brosnan off their bench too, the Dr Crokes man scoring three points, and the only concern – a big one – was the amount of pain midfielder Diarmuid O’Connor looked in after coming down heavily on his shoulder in the final minutes.

Kerry got the win they needed, Armagh will be more miffed at the manner of the defeat rather than the lost points, but Tyrone might be the biggest loser in all of this as they become more detached near the foot of the table.

Scorers for Kerry: D Clifford 0-10 (7f), P Clifford 1-2 (1-0 pen), D Geaney 1-1, T Brosnan 0-3, M Burns 0-1, P Geaney 0-1, S O’Brien 0-1, J O’Connor 0-1, J Foley 0-1

Scorers for Armagh: O O’Neill 0-4 (1f, 1 2pt free), R Grugan 0-7 (4f), S Campbell 0-2, C Turbitt 0-1 (f), A Murnin 0-1, O Conaty 0-1, J Óg Burns 0-1

KERRY: Shane Ryan, Paul Murphy, Jason Foley, Dylan Casey, Gavin White, Mike Breen, Brian Ó Beaglaoich, Diarmuid O’Connor, Joe O’Connor, Micheál Burns, Paudie Clifford, Sean O’Brien, David Clifford, Paul Geaney, Dylan Geaney.

Subs: Tony Brosnan for D Geaney (50), Graham O’Sullivan for B O Beaglaoich (57), Conor Geaney for M Burns (61), Killian Spillane for P Geaney (66), Ruairi Murphy for J O’Connor (66)

ARMAGH: Blaine Hughes, Aidan Forker, Barry McCambridge, Paddy Burns, Connaire Mackin, Greg McCabe, Peter McGrane, Ciaran Mackin, Oisin O’Neill, Jarly Óg Burns, Rory Grugan, Darragh McMullan, Conor Turbitt, Andrew Murnin, Oisin Conaty.

Subs: Ben Crealy for A Murnin (temp, 11-14), Ben Crealy for Connaire Mackin (32), Stefan Campbell for A Forker (ht), Shane McPartlan for C Turbitt (51), Jemar Hall for D McMullan (55), Joe McElroy for Ciaran Mackin (62)

Referee: Conor Lane (Cork)