PHOTOS: Kerry In Seventh Heaven As They Destroy Kildare By 27 Points

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Gavin O’Connor reports from Croke Park on Kerry’s rout of Kildare…

Kerry 7-16

Kildare 0-10

Kerry Kildare Barry John Goal 2

Barry John Keane celebrates his goal. Photo by Dermot Crean

IT was total domination as Kerry destroyed Kildare by 27 points this afternoon.

Seven second half goals helped equal the all-time winning margin in championship football. Ruthlessness, driven by competition for places was the catalyst for a powerful Kerry display that was, arguably, as complete as ever seen in Croke Park.

There is concern however with James O’Donoghue suffering a shoulder injury.

 

Donnchadh Walsh’s goal in the 38th minute ushered in a 15 minute blitz of goals with Kerry hitting the net an incredible five times and the Lilywhites wilted with every attack.

Kerry Kildare Goal 2

Colm Cooper punches the ball into the net. Photo by Dermot Crean

The big switch at the start of the game paid off, when Colm Cooper came in for Kieran Donaghy and hit 2-3. Darren O’Sullivan also made a big impression off the bench with his tally of 2-1.

Eamonn Fitzmaurice is left with a good headache for the semi-final as a number of players, put their hat in the ring for places. The bench was emptied seeing the return of Paul Galvin in Croke Park when he came on in the final quarter of the match along with Tommy Walsh who also made a big impression.

Kerry Kildare Goal 1

Donnchadh Walsh hits goal No.1. Photo by Dermot Crean

Stephen O’Brien justified his inclusion ahead of Johnny Buckley, scoring 1-4 from play, Barry John Keane took the lead from Darren O’Sullivan’s explosive re-emergence scoring 1-3 from play.

The launchpad for victory was secured in midfield where David Moran and Anthony Maher destroyed the much-hyped Kildare pairing of Moolick and Cribbin.

Kerry Kildare 6

Paul Murphy and Jonathan Lyne put their bodies on the line. Photo by Dermot Crean

When Darren O’Sullivan knocked in the seventh, there was a feeling in the ground the ball should have been knocked over the bar thus was the slaughter.

KERRY: B Kealy; P Murphy, S Enright, M Ó Sé; A O’Mahony, K Young, J Lyne; A Maher, D Moran; S O’Brien (1-4), B Sheehan, D Walsh (1-0); C Cooper (2-3, one fee), P Geaney (0-2), J O’Donoghue (0-3, one fee).

Subs: BJ Keane (1-3) for O’Donoghue (31 mins), Darran O’Sullivan (2-1) for P Geaney (42 mins), P Crowley for Ó Sé (50 mins), PGalvin for Walsh (54 mins), J Buckley for Sheehan (54 mins), T Walsh for Maher (60 mins).

KILDARE: M Donnellan; O Lyons (0-1), C Fitzpatrick, M O’Grady; K Murnaghan, E Doyle (0-1), E Bolton; T Moolick, P Cribbin; C McNally, E O’Flaherty (0-1), P O’Neill (0-2); E Callaghan (capt), A Smith (0-2), N Kelly (0-2).

Subs: P Kelly for Callaghan (43 mins), F Conway for Murnaghan (51 mins), P Fogarty for N Kelly (54 mins), M Sherry for McNally (57 mins), F Dowling (0-1) for Moolick (62 mins), G White for Bolton (67 mins).

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