Sublime Kerry annihilate Dublin in Croke Park rout

Kerry 1-24 Dublin 1-7: The Kingdom

Kerry 1-24 Dublin 1-7:The Kingdom. Is there anything they can't do? Not much on the evidence they provided today, through a display of sheer class that ended in a 17-point win over Dublin - their 10th consecutive victory in an All-Ireland quarter-final and arguably their most convincing.

Kerry have no time for predictions and are no respecters of form. By their standards they stumbled through the qualifiers and came to headquarters in disarray, their opponents having once again swept all aside in Leinster. But the back door's been good to Kerry and it looks to have served them well again.

Colm Cooper found his range with a first minute goal and scored 1-7 in total. Darragh Ó Sé was given a standing ovation by the faithful when being replaced on the hour. His was a masterful midfield performance.

In truth, though, nobody stood out, bar the forlorn 15 men in blue who, once again, buckled on the big stage.

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They were hit with a sucker punch early on when Cooper signalled his intent with a cheekily taken goal after being fed through by Mike McCarthy. Abandoned by the Dublin full-back line, with his back to goal, he anticipated Stephen Cluxton's presence, dropped the shoulder and turned to slot it beyond David Henry who had rushed back to the line to cover.

It was green and gold everywhere. Cluxton's kicks were being mopped up by Ó Sé, Seamus Scanlon and Declan O'Sullivan, while Tommy Walsh's central presence early on gave the Dubs a further headache. Declan O'Sullivan was next to point and Darren followed.

A five-point advantage inside four minutes and urgent action was needed. Alan Brogan was well aware of that and after using Jason Sherlock’s run down the right, he went alone and struck one goalwards off the outside of his right boot, only to see Diarmuid Murphy tip it on to the crossbar and away to safety.

Barry Cahill then got Dublin's first in the ninth minute but they wouldn't score for another 20.

Tom O'Sullivan marauded through a gaping hole in the Dublin defence, past a sleepy Henry and popped one over. Galvin followed suit before Gooch added a free.

Pat Gilroy needed something- and quick. It came in the shape of Ciarán Whelan, who replaced Darren Magee to shore up the midfield.

Early signs were good as he snatched Cluxton's kick out to roars of approval, then fed it to Bernard Brogan who repeated his brother's trick of hitting the crossbar.

The Raheny man made little difference though as Declan O'Sullivan strolled through the centre. With Bryan Cullen absent and Denis Bastick with one eye on Cooper, he added another.

Cooper twice drew the entire Dublin full-back line in for Tomas Ó Sé to point two and by the time Alan and Bernard Brogan scored their first points, the Kingdom were 10 points to the good and four more were added before the break.

Dublin were out early for the second half and first on the scoresheet through Bernard Brogan and then Alan, the only two in blue who seemed able to hit the target.

Kerry took 11 minutes to score but during that time the ball rarely left the Dublin half, as the Gooch dropped one short, Darren O'Sullivan misfired and Tadhg Kennelly, on for Walsh after just 18 minutes, wasted an easy opportunity.

Kennelly was taking a grip of things and was a constant threat in to the Dublin rearguard, setting up scores at will and taking two of his own.

Seamus Scanlon was first to benefit from his awareness to get Kerry ticking over again. Gooch followed suit with another free before Cluxton, left exposed again when Alan Hubbard got caught in the middle of Cooper and Declan O'Sullivan, brilliantly denied the latter a goal.

Substitute Paul O'Connor then spurned a glorious chance for to hit the net, again, thanks to Cluxton's awareness.

Dublin, 16 points in arrears, didn't just need a goal, the needed three or four. One came in practically their only cohesive move of the game when Diarmuid Connolly fed Bernard Brogan who offloaded for Conal Keaney to fire home.

There were half-chances for another two but both Brogans shot harmlessly wide, as did Whelan, badly, after he moved into a more advanced position.

Kerry gleefully picked them off at the other end, Kennelly starting the trouble, with Gooch and substitute Paul O'Connor finishing it off.

A glorious day out in the capital for the Kingdom. Yet another to forget for the Dubs.

DUBLIN:S Cluxton; D Henry, D Bastick, P Andrews; P Griffin (capt), B Cullen (C O'Sullivan 28), B Cahill (0-1); R McConnell, D Magee (C Whelan 15); P Flynn, D Connolly (S Ryan 63), B Brogan (0-3); A Brogan (0-3), C Keaney (1-0), J Sherlock (P Burke 24).

KERRY:D Murphy; M Ó Sé, T Griffin, T O'Sullivan (0-1); T Ó Sé (0-2), M McCarthy, K Young (A O'Mahony 61); D Ó Sé (M Quirke 61), S Scanlon (0-1); P Galvin (0-2), Declan O'Sullivan (0-3), D Walsh (0-1) (P O'Connor 49 (0-2); C Cooper (1-7), T Walsh (Kennelly 30 (0-2), Darren O'Sullivan (capt) (0-3) (S O'Sullivan 60).