Kerry 0-12 Armagh 0-11
Kerry claimed a one-point win over the Orchard County in a packed Austin Stacks Park Tralee on Saturday evening.
Armagh, buoyed by the huge support from the travelling fans, gave it their all but ultimately came up short.
Their defence was on form, holding the deadly trio of Sean O’Shea and the Clifford brothers, Paudie and David, to just one point from play.
Barry McCambridge came away from the game was a lot of credit. The Clann Eireann clubman went toe-to-toe with David Clifford and came out on top.
But despite holding the Player of the Year to just scores from frees, Armagh didn’t register enough at the other end.
Clifford opened the scoring, swinging over a free after four minutes of action, while Jarly Og Burns replied for Armagh.
Darragh Roche and Paudie Clifford split the posts for the Kingdom, but a Rian O’Neill free closed the gap.
Paul Murphy sprang forward to restore Kerry’s two-point lead, which was soon cancelled out by Aidan Forker and O’Neill.
Sean O’Shea and O’Neill traded frees before Barry Dan O’Sullivan put the hosts ahead. Stefan Campbell tagged one on for Armagh, leaving it all square at the break, 0-6 apiece.
Armagh made a bright start to the second half, with Greg McCabe and substitute Conor Turbitt raising white flags.
Kerry edged ahead once more however, with Tadgh Morley and a David Clifford brace putting them in front.
Armagh goalkeeper Ethan Rafferty fired over a free while Burns and Clifford exchanged efforts.
It was level heading into the final few minutes, before Kerry subs Tony Brosnan and Donal O’Sullivan claimed a point apiece.
That gave Jack O’Connor’s side some breathing space, as Armagh went in search of a game-winning goal.
The best they could do was a late point, from Rian O’Neill, which wasn’t enough to get something from the game.
Armagh deserved at least a draw but came away empty handed. That leaves their clash with Donegal in round five all the more interesting.
Armagh: Ethan Rafferty 0-1 (1f), Paddy Burns, Aidan Forker 0-1, Conor O’Neill, Greg McCabe 0-1, Barry McCambridge, Aaron McKay, Ciaran Mackin, Jarly Og Burns 0-2, Callum Cumiskey, Andrew Murnin, Tiernan Kelly, Rian O’Neill 0-4 (3f), Stefan Campbell 0-1, Jason Duffy. Subs: Joe McElroy for C. O’Neill, Conor Turbitt 0-1 for T. Kelly, Ross McQuillan for S. Campbell, Jemar Hall for C. Cumiskey, Niall Grimley for C. Mackin, Justin Kieran for A. Forker.
Kerry: Shane Ryan, Graham O’Sullivan, Jason Foley, Tom O’Sullivan, Stefan Okunbar, Tadhg Morley 0-1, Paul Murphy 0-1, Jack Barry, Barry Dan O’Sullivan 0-1, Dara Moynihan, Sean O’Shea 0-1 (1f), Adrian Spillane, Paudie Clifford 0-1, David Clifford 0-4 (4f), Darragh Roche 0-1. Subs: Micheal Burns for A. Spillane, Tony Brosnan 0-1 for D. Roche, Ronan Murphy for P. Clifford, Donal O’Sullivan 0-1 for D. Moynihan.
