Mayo record sparkling and hard-earned win over Kerry in Castlebar

ALLIANZ NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE

Mayo 0-21

Kerry 1-16

CASTLEBAR

A high-scoring, entertaining, hard-fought contest in Hastings Insurance MacHale Park ended in a deserved win for the home side on Saturday afternoon. Mayo were the better team in the first half and although Kerry dominated the third quarter and took the lead coming down the home straight, Mayo had the bottle, the belief and the delivery to come back and win the game in the run-in.

The home side led by seven at half time and the gap would have been greater if the Mayo defence hadn't allowed Brian Ó Beagloich wander through for a well-taken goal after 33 minutes.

The home side were hugely dominant around the middle and ate up the breaking ball as Kerry took time to get to the pace of the game. Mayo were more sprightly, more ferocious and more decisive. They were nine clear when Ryan O'Donoghue clipped over a free after 32 minutes and the gap did not flatter Kevin McStay's men.

Jack Carney was excellent in the middle, while Jordan Flynn, Enda Hession, Darren McHale, Aidan O'Shea, O'Donoghue and Frank Irwin led the Mayo charge.

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At the other end, Paul Geaney and Diarmuid O'Connor were the most prominent, but they had to be happy with a paltry return of three white flags from a temporarily quiet David Clifford, Geaney and O'Connor.

Ó Beaglaoich's goal gave the guests a much-needed boost and Clifford landed a free a moment later when Mayo dissent was punished.

However, the finest score of the first period was still to come. Mayo attacked and were awarded a line-ball which Ryan O'Donoghue drove between the posts after the buzzer had sounded to leave the home side with a healthy 0-14 to 1-4 advantage at the break.

Kerry were much improved after the resumption and it was the Munster men who took charge for a time around the middle. They had closed the gap to two, 1-9 to 0-14, after 49 minutes thanks to a two-pointer from Dylan Geaney and singles from Paudie Clifford, David Clifford and Paul Geaney.

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Mayo needed to stop the rot and did so when O'Donoghue kicked two points on the spin as Aidan O'Shea made his presence felt around the middle of the pitch.

However, Kerry had the wind in their sails and pushed on. Dylan Geaney kicked another two-pointer as the comeback continued and when David Clifford landed another from downtown after 57 minutes the guests were in front.

It seemed as if Kerry were destined to push on and win the game from there, especially when David Clifford converted a simple free when Colm Reape was pinged for taking too long with the kick-out. However, that's not the way history will be recalled.

Mayo cut loose again and points from David McBrien, Fergal Boland and O'Donoghue had Mayo a point up with five minutes to play. Kerry went in search of the equaliser, or a two-pointer to win it. They seemed to have secured the latter when David Clifford's long-range free was sneaking over the bar, but Reape climbed into the Castlebar sky to prevent the score.

Mayo made the most of that reprieve and swept down the pitch in a frantic finish which eventually yielded a point from Matthew Ruane at the death to secure a hard-earned and deserved two-point win in front of 9,358 supporters.

A full report, after-match reaction and analysis will be carried in Tuesday's Mayo News.