Kerry 2-16 Clare 0-11

By John Fogarty

Kerry have advanced with ease to an August 28 All-Ireland semi-final against Dublin or Donegal with their second facile championship win over Clare this summer.

Confining Clare to just four points from play, the game was over as a contest six minutes into the second half when Darran O’Sullivan finished off a goal move that involved David Moran, Paul Geaney and Stephen O’Brien. The score put them nine points up and out of sight.

Clare had a goal chance in the 54th minute when Brian Kelly batted down a ball into Jamie Malone’s hand but the Kerry goalkeeper was able to take the heat out of the shot and Aidan O’Mahony cleared it off the line.

A similarly pedestrian first half was won by Kerry on a scoreline of 1-8 to 0-4. They went ahead for the first time in the third minute when Paul Geaney made the most of a quick David Moran 45 and almost had a goal in the eighth minute when Shane Enright’s shot was parried off the post by Joe Hayes although the play was called back for a free on the Kerry corner-back.

Thanks to three placed balls, Clare were back on level terms in the 17th minute but then came the Kerry goal, a product of a Stephen O’Brien ball into Paul Murphy coming off the Rathmore man’s heel and into the path of Donnchadh Walsh who had the easiest of tasks from point blank range.

Walsh could have netted earlier when he was in receipt of a fabulous fetch by Geaney but could only palm into Hayes’ hands.

Kerry tagged on the next four points, two of them from Darran O’Sullivan, as they made the most of Clare’s lack of intensity. Pearse Lillis brought an end to a 21-minute spell without a Clare score but an O’Donoghue free rounded off the first half scoring.

Scorers for Kerry: D. O’Sullivan (1-2); J. O’Donoghue (0-5, 3 frees); D. Walsh (1-1); P. Geaney (1 free), B.J. Keane (0-3 each); B. Sheehan (free), S. O’Brien (0-1 each).

Scorers for Clare: D. Tubridy (2 frees, 1 45), E. Cleary (frees) (0-4 each); P. Lillis, J. Malone, P. Burke (0-1 each).

KERRY: B. Kelly; S. Enright, M. Griffin, B. Ó Beaglaoich; K. Young, T. Morley, P. Crowley; K. Donaghy, D. Moran; D. Walsh, D. O’Sullivan, P. Murphy; J. O’Donoghue, P. Geaney, S. O’Brien.

Subs for Kerry: A. O’Mahony for T. Morley (black), B.J. Keane for D. Walsh (both 45); A. Maher for K. Donaghy (47); B. Sheehan for D. Moran, M. Ó Sé for P. Crowley (both 53); T. Brosnan for J. O’Donoghue (66).

CLARE: J. Hayes; M. McMahon, K. Harnett, S. Hickey; D. Ryan, G. Kelly, C. O’Dea; G. Brennan, C. O’Connor; S. Collins, J. Malone, P. Collins; P. Lillis, D. Tubridy, E. Cleary.

Subs for Clare: K. Sexton for C. O’Dea (h-t); S. McGrath for D. Tubridy (47); E. Coughlan for C. O’Connor (50); P. Burke for S. Hickey (58); S. Malone for G. Kelly (64).

Referee: M. Deegan (Laois).