Turbitt the driving force as Armagh hammer lacklustre Kildare 

ON SONG: Armagh’s Conor Turbitt celebrates scoring the first goal of the game. Pic: Ryan Byrne, Inpho

KILDARE 0-8 ARMAGH 2-16 

Kildare are facing into a Division 2 relegation battle after this 14-point trouncing, their third consecutive defeat.

Led by Conor Turbitt who posted 1-5, promotion-chasing Armagh had it far too easy in Netwatch Cullen Park as they maintained their 100% record.

They led 2-8 to 0-4 at half-time, and were 13 points ahead by the 48th minute. Stefan Campbell’s third point of the second half pushed them 14 up on the hour mark.

In front of a 3,613 crowd populated by a large Armagh contingent, it was clear from early on that these are two teams going in different directions and the pressure on Kildare manager Glenn Ryan shows no signs of abating.

By the time Kildare troubled the scoreboard in the 10th minute, they had conceded 1-2. The lively Oisín Conaty opened with the first of his four first-half points and Turbitt scored a goal seconds later he had sent over a free.

Kildare only had themselves to blame when Jack Sargent’s poor hand-pass struck Eoin Doyle’s shoulder, Rory Grugan moped up possession and found Greg McCabe who teed up Turbitt to finish low.

Kildare had sliced the margin to three points by the 16th minute but Armagh’s directness was causing them no end of difficulties and they went on a 1-5 scoring spree between the 17th and 28th minutes.

Like Turbitt, Rory Grugan followed up a free with a goal in the 19th minute. Conaty laid off for him to send a shot past Mark Donnellan. 

Conaty followed it up with a brace of points and the groans from the Kildare crowd were audible.

By the time Kevin Feely ended Kildare’s 19 minutes without a score, Armagh had hit them for another couple of points, a Turbitt mark and Conaty’s fourth. 

Kildare’s lack of confidence showed up time and time again as their attacks broke down.

They might have had shouts for a point when a Darragh Kirwan shot was waved wide before Armagh’s second goal and a penalty in the 31st minute as Feely fell to ground with Aaron McKay but they had disappeared from their opponents’ rearview mirror.

Scorers for Kildare: K. Feely (0-4, 3 frees); A. Beirne, D. Kirwan, N. Kelly, K. Flynn (0-1 each).

Scorers for Armagh: C. Turbitt (1-5, 0-3 frees, 0-1 mark); O. Conaty (0-4); S. Campbell (0-3); R. Grugan (1-1, 0-1 free); J. McElroy, Connaire Mackin, J. Burns (0-1 each).

KILDARE: M. Donnellan; S. Ryan, M. O’Grady (c), E. Doyle; P. McDermott, K. Flynn, J. Sargent; K. O’Callaghan, A. Masterson; A. Beirne, D. Kirwan, B. McCormack; P. Woodgate, K. Feely, B. Kelly.

Subs for Kildare: R. Burke for S. Ryan (26); D. Flynn for P. Woodgate, L. Killian for A. Masterson (both h-t); N. Kelly for B. McCormack (46); S. Farrell for A. Beirne (50).

Red card: K. O’Callaghan (straight, 70+1).

ARMAGH: B. Hughes; G. McCabe, A. McKay, P. Burns; P. McGrane, A. Forker, Connaire Mackin; Ciaran Mackin, S. Campbell; R. Grugan, O. Conaty, J. McElroy; C. McConville, C. Turbitt, A. Murnin.

Subs for Armagh: C. O’Neill for P. Burns (temp, 6-13); T. Kelly for R. Grugan (h-t); J. Burns for C. McConville (49); B. McCambridge for P. Burns (54); O. O’Neill for A. Murnin (temp 57-ft); J. Duffy for O. Conaty, A. Nugent for C. Turbitt (both 63).

Referee: D. Coldrick (Meath).