Allianz National Football League Division One: Kerry 2-21 Armagh 0-17
A 10-point hiding from Kerry and afterwards confirmation that Rian O’Neill is unlikely to feature this season… There have been better days for Armagh recently.
O’Neill returned to training earlier this month but has since stepped away from the panel and Kieran McGeeney said he doesn’t expect to see him “for a good while”, adding that the Crossmaglen clubman should be given time and space to deal with personal issues.
O’Neill deserves that. He is a massive loss to the All-Ireland champions who go into their final Division One game against Derry next Sunday with work to do. They haven’t become a bad team overnight, but they have become an inconsistent team and this loss in Tralee means they struck-out on all three road trips this season.
Visitors get a warm welcome in Kerry but it doesn’t extend to the football field and the Kingdom’s no-more-mister-nice-guy intensity was too much for Armagh in the first half in Tralee.
Goals from Dylan Geaney and Paudie Clifford (a penalty) and a steady stream of scores from David Clifford saw the hosts to a 13-point lead at the break.
The first half was bad-tempered and feisty with Kerry playing on the edge against the All-Ireland champions. Their movement was swift and their kick-passing brilliant so their football matched their physicality and although Armagh improved in the second half, with Rory Grugan particularly impressive, a three-point cameo from Tony Brosnan meant they were never able to close the gap.
“We were bullied off the ball in the first half,” said McGeeney.
“We were physically outdone everywhere so it’s just one of those days when you have to take it on the chin and get on with it.”
Kerry were up for it from the first whistle and they flew into tackles against the men who beat them in last year’s All-Ireland semi-final.
Paudie Clifford screamed into Jarly Og Burns’s face, Conor Turbitt clashed with Brian O Beaglaoich, David Clifford and Greg McCabe, Mike Breen and Barry McCambridge… They locked horns all over the pitch but McGeeney had no complaints with Kerry’s aggressive tactics.
“You have to play it the way it is,” he said.
“And you don’t have any issues after it. We showed a bit of courage in the second half, they stood up and were a bit better but it was a very poor first half.”
Kerry had needed grandstand finishes to nick the points in Derry and Tyrone earlier this season but on Saturday it was their first half performance that won the game and most of the damage was done in the first 15 minutes.
“I’m very happy with the first half,” said Jack O’Connor.
“We could have been a bit more convincing in the second half but overall, very pleased – the only disappointing thing is that Diarmuid (O’Connor) picked up a bit of a shoulder injury which we need to get examined.
“We were very flat up in Castlebar the last day and we were a good bit fresher and more energetic and we targeted starting better and we did that.”
They did and Armagh had a let off after 15 seconds when David Clifford’s shot was well saved by Blaine Hughes, who replaced Ethan Rafferty in goal.
Armagh scrambled the ball clear but Joe O’Connor, who was outstanding alongside Diarmuid O’Connor in a midfield pairing tailormade for the long kickout rule, bulldozed forward and won a free for David Clifford. The Fossa maestro added two more and another from his brother Paudie, the man who makes this Kerry side tick, meant Armagh were four down after five minutes.
Oisin O’Neill, pushed into a forward role, opened Armagh’s account but Kerry were in charge. Micheal Burns spilt the posts and then Hughes’s kickout went straight to David Clifford who played in his doppelganger Dylan Geaney and he cracked his shot into the net.
Kerry scores kept coming but at the other end, Oisin Conaty failed to finish after he’d broken the Kerry line and then, after Ciaran Mackin’s speculative shot fell short, the home side broke with lightning speed.
Joe O’Connor’s raking pass picked out David Clifford’s run and when he was pulled down by a forward’s tackle from Conaty, referee Conor Lane immediately signalled ‘penalty’. Paudie Clifford took it and stroked an excellent shot past Hughes and it was 2-8 to 0-3 after 23 minutes.
With substitute Ben Crealey making an impact in the midfield battle, Armagh were desperate for a score to get them going and lively Darragh McMullan almost conjured it up but he was denied by a fine save from Shane Ryan. O’Neill did manage a two-point free (the only two-pointer of the game) but another David Clifford score left it 2-13 to 0-6 at the interval.
Miles behind, the start Armagh needed to the second half didn’t materialise and they’d barely touched leather when Dylan Geaney opened the scoring
David Clifford and Grugan kicked two frees each in the early stages but, with Kerry playing a more conservative game, Armagh began to build a head of steam.
Andrew Murnin, O’Neill and Grugan points closed the gap to 12 which, with 20 minutes left, hasn’t looked an impregnable position this season.
Sub Stefan Campbell chalked another one off after Peter McGrane’s pacey break, Grugan whipped over his fifth point and Conaty’s fisted score reduced the gap to single-figures.
Kerry dilly-dallied, going sideways instead of forward, and Armagh kept pushing. Another from Grugan continued their resurgence and Barry McCambridge and Murnin dived on Clifford’s boot as he tried to get Kerry going again.
But Armagh had left themselves too much to do and Kerry’s bench gave the Kingdom the shot in the arm they needed.
Brosnan’s excellent cameo produced three points which restored calm and meant they cantered to a win that will bolster their morale with the Championship looming.
Meanwhile, Armagh are searching for the consistent form that came so easily to them last year.
Kerry: S Ryan; P Murphy, J Foley (0-1), D Casey; G White, M Breen, B O Beaglaoich; D O’Connor, J O’Connor (0-1); M Burns (0-1), P Clifford (1-2, 1-0 pen), S O’Brien (0-1); D Clifford (0-10, 0-7 frees), P Geaney (0-1), D Geaney (1-1)
Subs: T Brosnan (0-3) for D Geaney (48), G O’Sullivan for O Beaglaoich (56), C Geaney for Burns (61), K Spillane for P Geaney (66), R Murphy for J O’Connor (65)
Yellow cards: P Clifford (23), O Beaglaoich (29)