Kerry proved too strong for Kildare as they recorded an emphatic 3-22 to 0-17 win in Newbridge to move into the third round of the All-Ireland senior football championship.

David Clifford, Diarmuid O’Connor and Gavin White netted the goals in the closing quarter for the All-Ireland champions as they put themselves into Monday morning’s draw and ended the Lilywhites’ season in the process.

With a defeat dethroning them of the Sam Maguire Cup, the Kingdom made a sizzling start to this contest with two-pointers from Joe O’Connor and Dylan Geaney helping get them out to a 0-6 to 0-0 lead after nine minutes.

Jack Robinson opened the hosts’ account in the 11th minute, but Paudie Clifford would wipe out that score with Kerry’s third two-pointer in a dozen minutes and they’d eventually go on to hold a 0-16 to 0-8 lead at the break.

David Clifford and the returning Brian O Beaglaoich pushed Jack O’Connor’s men into a double-digit advantage within five minutes of the resumption.

Darragh Kirwan’s two-pointer brought Kildare back within eight points, but the flood gates opened after as David Clifford and O’Connor fired in goals in the space of two minutes that had the scoreboard reading 2-20 to 0-12.

Geaney and Sean O’Brien added points for the holder ahead of last year’s skipper White rounding off the Kerry tally by netting the last score of game.

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