Kerry blitz blows Kildare away

Kerry 6-27 Kildare 0-9: Kerry manager Eamon Kelly was quick to try to dampen down expectations as Kerry blitzed the team that beat them in last year’s Christy Ring Cup final to book a place in next week’s decider.

Kelly, who is a Kildangan (Tipperary) clubmate of Kildare boss Brian Lawlor, agreed his charges excelled in booking a return to Croke Park but pointed to their recent poor record at GAA headquarters as sufficient cause for maintaining focus. He also made reference to the punishing schedule inflicted on Kildare due to the puzzling insistence on running the competition off by the first week of June.

“A point win would have done me,” said Kelly of the margin of victory. “We didn’t see that result coming. We got the goals at the right time and Kildare had a bad day at the office. They’re not as bad as that.