Kerry 2-16

Clare 0-11

Kerry had minimal fuss this afternoon as they scored a comfortable win over Clare at Croke Park to advance into the semi-finals of the All-Ireland SFC.

In front of 27,615 spectators, Eamonn Fitzmaurice's team held their opponents to 0-4 from play during the 70 minutes and registered goals in either half from Donnchadh Walsh and Darran O'Sullivan to secure their second championship victory this summer over the Banner County.

Those majors, along with a steady supply for their inside men, ensured that things went according to script here as Clare's dynamic forward pairing of Eoin Cleary and David Tubridy were reduced to a single point from play, with the latter having been withdrawn midway through the second-half.

While some aspects of the performance will have pleased Fitzmaurice, a better overall performance will be needed for their semi-final date with either Dublin or Donegal on August 28th.

Paul Geaney opened Kerry's account in this quarter-final contest after three minutes by gathering a quick '45' from David Moran and firing over to get the Munster champions up and running.

Clare responded with a converted '45' of their own from Tubridy before avoiding disaster in the eighth minute when Shane Enright's sizzling run forward saw him denied the net by a fantastic save from 'keeper Joe Hayes. Kerry would have to settle for a pointed free from James O'Donoghue instead, ahead of Geaney doubling their advantage after Peter Crowley created him the space.

Cathal O'Connor drove forward from midfield to help engineer the Banner men's next score, as the big Coolmeen man got himself impeded and Eoin Cleary darted over off the ground.

A 17th minute free from Tubridy brought Clare level but that was about as good as it got for the underdogs with Kerry striking their first hammer blow three minutes later.

Paul Murphy's brilliant run through the middle was rewarded when possession was put in his path only to lose control and fortuitously flick the ball off his heel to an onrushing Walsh, who then had the simple task of dispatching to an empty net.

The next four scores went the way of the Kingdom, as O'Sullivan (2), O'Donoghue and Walsh began to turn the screw on Colm Collins' side.

In the process of posting their first score from open play, Pearse Collins also ended an 18-minute scoring drought for Clare but there was still time for their counterparts to cancel it out before half-time. It was O'Donoghue that tapped over the 20-metre free on the interval's eve to leave it at 1-8 to 0-4.

The Division Three champions had it all to do in the second-half and got an uplifting score from wing forward Jamie Malone in its early stages before being rocked once more.

There'd be nothing fortuitous about Kerry's second goal of the afternoon as O'Sullivan's rocket into the top corner of Hayes' net was brilliantly orchestrated, with the Glenbeigh-Glencar flyer having been slipped through the middle by Geaney and providing a finish that would have left many in the small attendance in awe.

A pair of Tubridy points (one a free) reduced the gap to seven for his side ahead of Tadgh Morley being issued a black card for tripping Malone, which saw Aidan O'Mahony introduced 45 minutes in.

Fitzmaurice would also send on Barry John Keane, Bryan Sheehan and Marc O Se for good measure and it was Keane who was the brightest star of those subs, contributing back-to-back points within minutes of his introduction, which seems to have become something of a trademark for the Kerins O'Rahilly's man.

O'Mahony was called up for a goal line clearance on 54 minutes which denied Malone the Kerry net, with the five-time All-Ireland winner injuring himself in the process and playing through it until the final whistle.

Cleary and Sheehan traded frees prior to Keane completing his hat-trick of points from long range, as the door was well and truly shut on Clare.

The late stages saw O'Donoghue send over his fifth of the day before being withdrawn for former minor star Tony Brosnan to make his championship debut at an eerie Croker.

Stephen O'Brien fisted over Kerry's last score of the game with the opportunity of another goal on and Cleary converted a brace of consolation frees at the other end in injury-time, bringing the curtain down on the Banner County's momentous season.

Kerry - B Kelly; B Begley, M Griffin, K Young; S Enright, P Crowley, T Morley; K Donaghy, D Moran; S O'Brien (0-1), P Murphy, D Walsh (1-1); D O'Sullivan (1-2), P Geaney (0-3, 1f), J O'Donoghue (0-5, 2f). Subs: A O'Mahony for T Morley, B J Keane (0-3) for D Walsh, A Maher for K Donaghy, B Sheehan (0-1f) for D Moran, M O Se for P Crowley, T Brosnan for J O'Donoghue.
 
Clare - J Hayes, M McMahon, K Harnett, S Hickey; C O'Dea, G Kelly, D Ryan; G Brennan, C O'Connor; S Collins, P Collins, J Malone (0-1); P Lillis (0-1), D Tubridy (0-4, 2f, 1'45), E Cleary (0-4f). Subs: S McGrath for D Tubridy, E Coughlan for C O'Connor, P Burke (0-1) for S Hickey, S Malone for G Kelly.

Referee - M Deegan.

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