Fiery Mayo blaze to victory

Adam Moynihan reports from MacHale Park, Castlebar

kicked one from a free and one from play – and loose marking at the other end saw the home team open up a significant lead.

board ticking over with two brilliant 45s by keeper Colm Reape either side of further efforts by Man of the Match Flynn and Carr.

A fisted point by Donnacha McHugh (when a goal was on) followed by a beauty by Jack Carney made it an 11-point game with three minutes of normal time to go. Kerry would have taken the final whistle at this stage but a late goal by Barry Dan O’Sullivan and a point by Dara Moynihan cut the deficit to seven by the close of play.

It was a night to forget for Jack O’Connor’s men but credit to Mayo, they brough the fire and Kerry couldn’t put it out.

A well-rounded, all-action performance by Mayo saw them chalk up an excellent home win against Kerry on Saturday night, as The Kingdom were handed one of their most humbling league defeats in years.

Seven points separated the teams in the end but, in truth, the final score flattered Kerry. They trailed by 13 at one stage and if it wasn’t for second-half substitutes

David Clifford and Seánie O’Shea, the margin could have been more.

Jack O’Connor’s side looked out of sorts from the moment the ball was thrown in and they struggled to cope with Mayo’s intensity in all sectors of the field.

The result leaves Kerry looking over their collective shoulder in a tightly packed Division 1; they will more than likely need two wins from their remain- ing four fixtures to avoid relegation.

EAGER

Played in front of a large and eager crowd at a resplendent MacHale Park, this Round 3 match-up started in uninspiring fashion as both teams shared five straight wides before the first score was registered.

Ryan O’Donoghue broke the deadlock for the hosts with a close-in free with eight minutes on the clock – and things quickly deteriorated for Kerry thereafter. James Carr sent a skyscraper of a kick – a mark from fully 40 metres – over the black spot and then O’Donoghue bulldozed his way through before dinking a clever improvised finish over Shane Murphy in the Kerry goal.

Darragh Roche was the only Kerry forward to score in the first quarter – he

It was the 33rd minute before Tony Brosnan kicked The Kingdom’s third point of the evening but by then they trailed by ten. Points by the impressive Jordan Flynn, Carr, O’Donoghue, Diarmuid O’Connor, plus a neatly dispatched goal by Carr, had the home supporters in high spririts.

A minute before half-time, Flynn strolled through to kick his third point from play and Mayo led by 11 (2-8 to 0-3). Game over.

CLIFFORD & O’SHEA

The introduction of star players David Clifford and Seánie O’Shea led to a more functional Kerry attack in the second half and some fine scores by them (three for ClIfford and two for O’Shea) restored some semblance of pride for the boys in navy blue.

But Kevin McStay’s men kept the score-

Next up for the All-Ireland champions is a home match against Armagh in Tralee. Two points will be crucial if they wish to sidestep a relegation dogfight.

MAYO: C Reape (0-2 45s); D McBrien, R Brickenden, E Hession; S Coen, C Loftus, D McHugh (0-1); M Ruane, D O’Connor (0-1); F McDonagh, J Carney (0-1), J Flynn (0-4); A O’Shea, J Carr (1-2, 1m), R O’Donoghue (1-3, 2f, 1m).

Subs: B Tuohy for D O’Connor; C O’Connor for McDonagh; J Coyne for Brickenden; C McStay for Carr; P Durcan for Coen.

KERRY: S Murphy; G O’Sullivan, J Foley, T O’Sullivan; P Warren, T Morley, P Murphy (0-1); J Barry, BD O’Sullivan (1-0); D Moynihan (0-1), P Clifford, M Burns; T Brosnan (0-1), D Roche (0-2, 1f), D O’Sullivan.

Subs: D Casey for Warren; S O’Shea (0-2, 1f) for Burns; D Clifford (0-3) for D O’Sullivan; S Okunbor for Roche; K Spillane for P Clifford.