All-Ireland SFC, Round 3: Kerry 4-18 (4-3-12) Armagh 0-17 (0-3-11)Now their championship trilogy is complete. For the second successive year, Kerry have softly crushed Armagh in the knock-out stages, only this time leaving no doubt about their absolute superiority.By the time the sun broke through in Fitzgerald Stadium to greet the endgame, Kerry were simply jogging it home – their 13-point victory thoroughly more convincing than the quarter-final defeat they heaped on their Ulster rivals last year.Here, Kerry’s 4-18 tally made sure Armagh rarely got a look in. David Clifford helped himself to 1-10, although Paul Geaney, Joe O’Connor and Keith Evans will give him a run for the goal of the match, each of their own scores also finished in sublime, or in Geaney’s case, ridiculous style.By the end, Armagh appeared burned out by the exertions in recent weeks, falling to their earliest championship exit since in 1997. Despite keeping Kerry relatively close until the brink of half-time, they conceded a goal and a two-pointer in the last 90 seconds of the half, from which they never recovered.It means Kerry arrive at the summer solstice exactly where they want to be. They finished with a neat spread of seven scorers, including Dylan Geaney’s 0-5 – although his two goal assists for Clifford and O’Connor were arguably the greater contribution.If the 24,648 in attendance at Fitzgerald Stadium were anticipating the game might come down to the wire, by the 50th minute they’d realised that wasn’t going to happen, Kerry already up by 15 points, 3-15 to 0-9. O’Connor had blasted home their third goal on 44 minutes, the rumblings of which must have been heard in the MacGillycuddy Reeks off in the distance, and manager Jack O’Connor admitted even he could sit back and enjoy things.Joe O’Connor celebrates scoring Kerry's third goal. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho “Probably after Joe O’Connor’s goal, it was going to take a bit of a collapse if we were going to get beaten then,” said O’Connor. “So we enjoyed the second half, for sure.“But the goal just before half-time, that was a massive turning point for sure. You couldn’t say Armagh played badly in the first half, had us in a bit of bother. But goals are a massive boast, David’s first goal sustained us.”The second goal came moments after Clifford hit a two-point free. Armagh were trying to play down the buzzer for a last shot of their own, Ethan Rafferty coming forward in the process. But suddenly Joe McElory lost the ball in the turnover, and with that Jason Foley sent the searching ball into space, which bounced neatly for Geaney, who still needed to work his magic.“Just smart thinking by Jason Foley to just welly the ball up the field,” said O’Connor. “Because I don’t think we’d have got it if we ran it. And Paul, being the clever player that he is, was able to finish yet.”Clifford’s goal on 12 minutes later came off a delicious pass from Dylan Geaney. Armagh briefly got their noses back in front, but their slow and often laborious build-up was costing them.Mike Breen was solid as a rock at centre back, growing in belief and stature, and Jason Foley was excellent just behind him, with O’Connor singling out high praise for Dylan Geaney.“We got a few bodies back, got minutes into players,” said O’Connor. “Six weeks ago, we were half on life support, but I just felt the way we trained here last Wednesday night, and the previous Wednesday, I felt we were coming into form.“Training never lies. You always know, and sure the lads love the ground here. I was confident enough they’d have a big performance.”Kerry had the last word too when Keith Evans burst forward to score their fourth goal in the final minute. By then, Armagh looked physically and mentally drained, the Ulster title their only consolation this summer.Armagh goalkeper Ethan Rafferty dejected after the game. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho “Disappointing probably doesn’t even cover it,” said Armagh manager Kieran McGeeney. “I thought we were doing well up until the 33rd-and-a-half minute, but giving away five points in the last 30 seconds, that was hard to take.”Rafferty, badly caught out for Geaney’s goal, hit one two-point free in the second half, Oisin Conaty and Andrew Murnin raising orange flags too, but that was far too little, too late. Ross McQuillan and Jason Duffy also showed some early promise, but it was short-lived.“In the second half, everything that could go wrong, did go wrong,” McGeaney added. “Kerry couldn’t miss, and we couldn’t score. We finished I think 10 of 25 chances, from play. But sport can be a cruel f***ker, that’s the way it goes.“Kerry were efficient as usual, in front of goal, but we were just shocking with our efficiency. At this time of the year, at this level, you’re going to get punished. We just seemed to fall asunder, and I can’t quite put a finger on it.”KERRY: S Murphy; P Murphy, J Foley (0-0-1), D Casey; B Ó Beaglaoich, M Breen, G O’Sullivan (0-0-1); M O’Shea, S O’Brien; J O’Connor (1-0-0), P Clifford, D O’Connor; D Clifford (1-2-6, 1tpf, 2f), P Geaney (1-0-1), D Geaney (0-1-3). Subs: G White for Ó Beaglaoich (52 mins), S O’Shea for P Geaney (53), K Evans (1-0-0) for O’Brien (56), E Looney Murphy (60), T Brosnan for O’Brien (61, blood), A Hienrich for Casey (65).ARMAGH: E Rafferty (0-1-0, 1tpf); P McGrane, A McKay, G Murphy; P Burns, T Kelly, J Óg Burns; A Murnin (0-1-0), J McElroy; C McConville (0-0-1f), D McMullen, R McQuillan (0-0-3); C Turbitt (0-0-2, 1f), J Duffy (0-0-2), O Conaty (0-1-2). Subs: O O’Neill (0-0-1) for Burns, T McCormack for McElroy (both 48 mins), C O’Neill for McConville (52), R Grugan for McKay (60), G McCabe for Turbitt (65).Referee: David Coldrick (Meath)