Kerry steamroll way to All-Ireland quarters with dominant win over Armagh
FINESSE: Paul Geaney buries Kerry's second green flag at Fitzgerald Stadium. Picture: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
It might have billed as a clash of champions but the fare did not live up to it as Kerry steamrolled their way to an All-Ireland quarter-final.
Dylan Geaney was outstanding for Jack O’Connor’s side and David Clifford scored 1-10 as Armagh were by far the inferior side in a game watched by 24,648 in Fitzgerald Stadium.
Having two days less than Kerry to prepare for the game had been a worry for the Ulster winners and it appeared to be reflected in their cautious first-half display.
Kerry broke out with Paul Geaney’s freakish goal before half-time to go six up and a Joe O’Connor goal 10 minutes into the second half, teed up beautifully by Dylan Geaney's switch of hand, pushed The Kingdom 11 points ahead and out of reach.
A blocked down Oisín Conaty shot and a Calum O’Neill fisted attempt were the closest Armagh came to breaching Shane Murphy’s line but he was equal to both. Seán O’Shea, seeing his first action in three months, was alert enough to deny Conaty again in the 67th minute.
At the other end, Kerry were playing for fun although they were still cranky. Thirteen points up, Joe O’Connor and David Clifford were disagreeing but their possession ultimately led to a Graham O’Sullivan point.
The piece de resistance came in the 69th minute when Keith Evans lobbed Ethan Rafferty to extend Kerry’s lead to 13 points. A deserving one based on an incredible second period.
A drudging first half of football was finished with a score completely at odds with it. Armagh were killing the clock to set up one last score attempt before the hooter when Jason Foley turned over Joe McElroy after a loose pass by Jarly Óg Burns and Kerry counterattacked in a matter of seconds.
Combining with O’Sullivan, Foley sprayed the ball forward and the ball broke down into the path of Paul Geaney. With Ethan Rafferty committed up the field, the advance shocked Armagh and Paul Geaney was able to kick a goal to an empty net from the guts of 45 metres out.
The siren sounded seconds later as Kerry’s fans were continuing to celebrate a score that brought their lead to six, 2-8 to 0-8. O’Sullivan was also involved in the earlier goal in the 13th minute, his pass into an unmarked Dylan Geaney sparking the initiative for David Clifford to round Rafferty and showing the coolness to finish to the corner of the net with his second chance.
Some will say it was just desserts for Armagh who appeared to be more interested in conserving the ball than converting scores with it. They had kept the ball for the guts of three minutes prior to the last score of the half, Oisin Conaty’s 32nd minute point.
After the mental and physical rigours of losing out to Louth so dramatically last Sunday, Armagh were playing the long game but then Kerry were happy to present a shield around their D and let the opposition play around with it.
Armagh began with more endeavour and led 0-4 to 0-1 after 10 minutes.
They were facing a wind but they had pulled five shots wide of the mark in the opening 15 minutes.
Kerry hit that mark by the 21st minute and as was the case against Donegal here Paudie Clifford was guilty on that count, kicking a couple of wides. However, they were bossing midfield where Seán O’Brien and Mark O’Shea were winning clean ball.
After Kerry missed a couple of two-point attempts, Dylan Geaney raised an orange flag in the 27th minute, the third Kerry score without reply in five minutes, to push the home side three ahead.
Armagh pointed the next two but both came off the back of incessant recycling and were more than cancelled out when Geaney pounced for that opportunistic goal.
D. Clifford (1-10, 1tp, 1 tp free, 0-2 frees); D. Geaney (0-5, 1 tp); P. Geaney (1-1); J. O’Connor, K. Evans (1-0 each); J. Foley, G. O’Sullivan (0-1 each).
O. Conaty (0-4, 1 tp free); R. McQuillan (0-3); J. Duffy, C. Turbitt (1 free), E. Rafferty (1 tp free), A. Murnin (tp) (0-2 each); C. McConville, O. O’Neill (0-1, free).
S. Murphy; P. Murphy, J. Foley, D. Casey; B. Ó Beaglaoich, M. Breen, G. O’Sullivan; M. O’Shea, J. O’Connor; S. O’Brien, P. Clifford, D. O’Connor; D. Clifford, P. Geaney (c), D. Geaney.
G. White for B. Ó Beaglaoich (52); S. O’Shea for P. Geaney (53); K. Evans for S. O’Brien (56); E. Looney for P. Murphy (61); T. Brosnan for M. O’Shea (temp 61-ft); A. Heinrich for D. Casey (65).
E. Rafferty; P. McGrane, P. Burns, A. McKay; G. Murphy, T. Kelly, J. Burns; A. Murnin, J. McElroy; O. Conaty, D. McMullan, R. McQuillan; C. McConville, C. Turbitt, J. Duffy.
O. O’Neill for J. Burns, T. McCormack for J. McElroy (both 47); C. O’Neill for C. McConville (52); R. Grugan for A. McKay (61); G. McCabe for C. Turbitt (65).
D. Coldrick (Meath).
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