ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION ONE Kerry 1-12 Mayo 1-12:IN MANY ways it was the result that suited both sides – Kerry who were already top of the Division One table and in the semi-final were happy not to lose a second game at home in the league, while Mayo needed just a point as it transpired to make the league semis.
This final round clash, played at the Austin Stack Park Tralee, was always interesting but Mayo, once they lost wing back Lee Keegan early in the second half, let an eight- and six-point lead slip during the 70 minutes and may feel they should have held on and won.
Mayo boss James Horan was happy with a share of the spoils “We could have won; we had a couple of chances near the end where we did not take the right option. But we will take the result, we will learn from it and start preparing for next weekend.”
Kerry boss Jack O’Connor was also pleased with the result. “We started off poorly and gave them an eight-point lead at one stage but we were determined to keep the run that we are on at the moment going for as long as we can so it was good to come back.”
O’Connor was pleased with his younger players, who are knocking on his door for starting places
Mayo dominated long periods of the opening half against Kerry’s young guns as Aidan O’Shea caught great ball at midfield, despite good work by Bryan Sheehan.
Mayo had early points from Cillian O’Connor (two) and Jason Doherty, with Bryan Sheehan replying for Kerry with the first of three 60-yard free kicks.
Colm Cooper then fired over a fine point, which was followed by a similar effort from Patrick Curtin.
Then came a controversial moment when Colm Cooper put the ball in the Mayo net, only for the goal to be disallowed, presumably for a ‘square’ infringement.
Mayo appeared to take heart from this let-off and hit Kerry for 1-4 without reply from the 19th to 24th minute, with Cillian O’Connor crossing for Jason Doherty to fist the ball to net.
Kerry rallied approaching half-time with Sheehan kicking two mighty 60-yard frees and Colm Cooper and the promising Paddy Curtin cutting Mayo’s lead at the interval to four points (1-8- 0-7).
Kerry introduced Darran O’Sullivan and Paul Galvin, but again after an early Curtin point, it appeared that Mayo, thanks to hard graft of Andy Moran and Alan Dillon, had taken a grip on proceedings, as they moved 1-12 to 0-9 clear by the 48th minute.
But incredibly Mayo failed to score for the rest of the game, shooting four bad wides instead.
Kerry were now in full flow as Mayo lost wing back Lee Keegan to a harsh-looking second yellow in the 46th minute and, after a Paul Galvin special, Kerry were awarded a penalty in the 52nd minute when Cooper was upended as he was about to shoot, from a Crowley assist. Sheehan sent David Clarke the wrong way and it was now a two-point game.
To Mayo’s credit they did not capitulate with 14 men and they looked like keeping Kerry out, but Sheehan proved their nemesis when he converted a 67th minute free and then levelled the contest three minutes into injury time.
Ironically, the draw means that Kerry and Mayo will meet on Sunday next in the League semi-final and if the main course is anything like Sunday’s aperitif, then it should be cracking contest.
KERRY: B Kelly; S Enright; K Young; B McGuire; P Crowley; E Brosnan; J Lyne; B Sheehan (1-6, 1-0 pen, 0-6 frees); K Donaghy; D O'Callaghan; B J Keane; J Buckley; C Cooper (0-2); P Curtin (0-3); K O'Leary. Subs: P Galvin (0-1) for D O'Callaghan (half-time); Darran O'Sullivan for BJ Keane (half-time); M Ó Sé for E Brosnan (45 mins); Declan O'Sullivan for K O'Leary (47 mins); J O'Donoghue for J Buckley (58 mins).
MAYO: D Clarke (0-1, 45); E Reilly; G Cafferkey; K Higgins; L Keegan; D Vaughan; D Geraghty; J Gibbons; A O'Shea; K McLoughlin (0-2); A Moran (0-1); A Dillon (0-1); C O'Connor (0-6, 0-6 frees); J Doherty (1-1), M Conroy. Subs: K Keane for E Reilly (47 mins); C Mortimer for M Conroy (48 mins); E Regan for C O'Connor (55 mins); S McHale for J Doherty (68 mins)
Referee: M Condon(Waterford).
