Moran doesn't mince his words after big defeat in Tralee

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION ONE

Kerry 2-29

Mayo 0-19

In Tralee

Andy Moran didn't mince his words after this evening's 16-point loss in Tralee. The Mayo manager didn't try to hide his disappointment at his team's display and

“This will definitely hit confidence levels, there's no doubt about that. You get beaten like that and you see the gap uypu have to make up, but you've two choices – you either try to close the gap or you give up on it. We'll be looking at the players character and demeanour over the next couple of weeks and if they're willing to go and chase it we'll go and chase it.”

Moran's team took a severe beating in Austin Stack Park this evening as a rampant Kerry waltzed past them and put themselves on the verge of a league final. This was a hugely disappointing display from the men of the west who went long periods without troubling the umpires.

The fact that they hit six two-pointers is somewhat ironic, given their wastefulness otherwise. Kerry kicked one wide and one short in the entire game while Mayo were errant on 14 occasions and dropped a number short.

Kerry's ravenous forwards exposed Mayo's problems at the centre of their defence and Seán O'Shea had a field-day, kicking eleven points, four of them two-pointers. He wasn't the only home forward to excel and Mayo were chasing shadows at times.

A devastating 16 minute period in the second quarter where Mayo conceded eight points on the spin while backed by the breeze left Kerry in charge at half-time. The home side enjoyed a three-point lead, 0-13 to 0-10, at the end of a hugely entertaining first half where only one score occurred from a free.

Mayo began well – playing expressive, fast-paced, flowing football, but were a little predicatble at times going forward.

Three two-pointers arrived in the first 18 minutes courtesy of Jordan Flynn, Jack Carney and Ryan O'Donoghue. The Connacht visitors were doing very well in the middle of the field and single points arrived from Fergal Boland, Kobe McDonald and an O'Donoghue free.

Darragh Beirne sent a goal chance just wide during Mayo's dominant spell and after 18 minutes Andy Moran's men were five clear, 0-9 to 0-4.

At the other end, corner-forwards Dylan Geaney and the fleet-of-foot Keith Evans were causing all sorts of problems, while Tom O'Sullivan was striding forward from the back.

Full-back Jason Foley was becoming hugely influential and the well-rehearsed double act of Clifford and Seán O'Shea was beginning to hum.

Suddenly, the Mayo scores dried up and between the 19^th and 34^th minutes Mayo couldn't buy a score. Kerry took charge around the middle and points began to stream over Rob Hennelly's crossbar.

Mayo did have a goal chance after 28 minutes when McDonald raced through but Shane Murphy came out and saved well before also denying McDonald from the rebound. Kerry continued to drive at Mayo every chance they got and when Graham O'Sullivan pointed in the 31^st minute the home side were four clear, 0-13 to 0-9.

Mayo stopped the rot a minute before the break when Sam Callinan raced forward to kick a much-needed point. However, the home side replied immediately when Geaney landed a Kerry point right on the buzzer.

Mayo were a distant second best for long periods of the second half. They didn't score from play for 28 minutes while Kerry went wild at the other end. Clifford kicked twos with ease, O'Shea was stunning and his volleyed two-pointer after 57 minutes was a thing of rare beauty.

However, it was the goals which blew the game apart and Dylan Geaney supplied the two of them. His first arrived after 39 minutes and his second in the 52^nd.

In fairness, Mayo never stopped trying and the arrival from the bench of Aidan O'Shea and Cillian O'Connor was noteworthy but there was no holding Kerry who won as they pleased.