Divilly stars as Kildare run riot

Kildare tore dreadful Armagh asunder to cement their place in the Division 2B final.

Paul Divilly came away with most of the plaudits, finishing with 4-8.

By the interval Kildare led by 5-15 to 0-3. Martin Fitzgerald and Quinn found the net inside the opening 10 minutes as Quinn and Kenny picked off some eye-catching points.

Divilly notched his first goal in the 15th minute and followed up 11 minutes later, while Conor Kenny’s goal came on the stroke of half time.

Armagh stopped the rot early in the second half, registering four of the first six points, thanks to Ryan Gaffney, Paddy Heaney and Ciarán Reid. But Kildare finished with 15 unanswered points to complete the rout.

Scorers for Kildare: P Divilly 4-8 (0-5fs); C Kenny 1-4; L Quinn 1-3; D Harney 0-5, D Butler 0-4; M Fitzgerald 1-1; M Moloney 0-2; R Hoban (f), T Murphy, D Smyth 0-1. Armagh: P Heaney 0-4(3fs); R Gaffney 0-2(1f); C Reid 0-1.

KILDARE: P Dermody; P Reidy, J Doran, P Curtin; K Divilly, R Hoban, N Ó Múineacháin; D Butler, M Moloney; C Kenny, P Divilly, D Harne; M Fitzgerald, T Murphy, L Quinn.

Subs: C Gallagher for Dermody (ht); J O’Malley for K Divilly (50); D Smyth for Murphy (50); M Purcell for Kenny (55); E O’Neill for Hoban (55)

ARMAGH: S Doherty; F Woods, P Hughes, M Garvey; C Devlin, N Curry, N Green; C Devlin, N Curry, N Green; N Duffy, K McKernan; P Heaney, R Gaffney, C Reid; R Lewis, T Duffy, C Coulter. Subs: D Magee for Duffy (ht); P Casey for McKernan (ht); A Carvill for Coulter (ht); L Woods for F Woods (55)

Referee: J Heffernan (Wexford).