Kerry secured top spot in Group 4 following a 14-point win over Louth in O'Moore Park. Despite the heavy loss Louth hung in to secure a home preliminary quarter-final next weekend.
Louth were spirited and again showed an upward curve in performance but the result was never in doubt.
Diarmuid O’Connor's goal and especially Tadhg Morley’s second, killed the game off as a contest. By that stage Ger Brennan got the message out to his side to hold firm and keep the ball and not risk an inferior score difference to Monaghan.
That showed poise.
Deja vu murmured around the terraces of Portlaoise as Kerry’s bright start reminded all of last season's one-sided affair.
A player who didn’t feature in that match was Joe Connor but the midfielder snuck in for the opening score, while Louth missed a glaring point, Sean O’Shea and Tony Brosnan compounded matters.
Louth began with eight changes from the loss that day, while Kerry had half as many changes in their personnel.
That subtle difference in line up showed on the field, as Louth stood up at times when they clearly didn’t 12 months previous.
Corner-back Donal McKenny showed the fight all afternoon, his endeavour to follow up and bundle home a lost cause summed up Louth's attitude. Conor Grimes’ effort for a point dipped off course and McKenny caught out a napping Morley.
In response, at the other end, Brian Ó Beaglaoich continued his scoring form but Louth would soon level again with Ciarán Byrne finding the target.
Kerry’s scoring rate increased as the half wore on, Louth’s concentration was found in needless fouls. The balletic David Clifford landed three placed efforts, while brother Paudie was on hand to punish Louth twice off their own wayward kick outs.
The pressure and squeeze Kerry brought was stalled slightly when Bevan Duffy spun over the last point of the half to make it 0-13 to 1-05 in the All-Ireland finalists' favour.
The second half began with intent, O’Connor again and Dara Moynihan finding the range as Louth were forced to live off scraps.
Craig Lennon did have a huge chance for goal but missed the target and that sucked the confidence out of Wee County.
David Clifford and Tom O’Sullivan rounded off a very thorough Kerry performance, while Louth wisely had their calculators out when Morley found the back of the net.
Jack O'Connor will be pleased with the spread of scorers - 11 different players raising flags - plus two more goals on the ledger, to add to the two against Meath.
Not to mention a fortnight's rest to prepare for a quarter-final, as the championship truly begins for the Kingdom.
Kerry: Shane Ryan; Tadhg Morley (1-00), Jason Foley, Tom O’Sullivan (0-01); Paul Murphy (0-01), Gavin White, Brian Ó Beaglaoich (0-03); Diarmuid O’Connor (1-01), Joe O’Connor (0-02); Tony Brosnan (0-01), Paudie Clifford (0-02), Dara Moynihan (0-01); David Clifford (0-07, 5f), Seán O’Shea (0-02, 1f), Paul Geaney.
Subs: Cillian Burke for Brosnan (55), Killian Spillane for Geaney (55), Barry Dan O’Sullivan for J O’Connor (67), Mike Breen for Morley (67), Dylan Casey for Foley (67).
Louth: Niall McDonnell; Dan Corcoran, Dermot Campbell, Donal McKenny (1-00); Bevan Duffy (0-01), Conall McKeever, Anthony Williams; Tommy Durnin, Ciarán Byrne (0-01); Paul Mathews (0-01), Ciarán Keenan (0-01), Craig Lennon (0-01); Ryan Burns, Sam Mulroy (0-03, 2f), Conor Grimes (0-02).
Subs: Leonard Grey for Lennon (50), Conor Early for Mathews (52), Tom Jackson for Burns (60), Liam Jackson for Byrne (67), Peter McStravick for Duffy (67)
Referee: Conor Lane (Cork)
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