Mayo earn respect but Kingdom keep crown

Kerry 2-15 Mayo 0-18

It was a familiar journey back west last night, contemplating another defeat in Croke Park, but there’s no disputing the character and spirit displayed by Mayo in this All-Ireland SFC quarter-final.

This was a strange game. Kerry didn’t score after the 58th minute, yet their All-Ireland crown never looked like slipping from their heads.

There was an early polish of Gooch’s genius to put a shine on this performance, but down south supporters will spend all week picking holes in the team and fretting about Billy Morgan’s re-invigoration of Cork football.

Kerry’s two goals illustrated the stark difference between these teams. Despite Conor Mortimer’s effort against Roscommon, Mayo haven’t threatened the net all summer.

When Kerry forwards run at defences, sometimes you think goals are the only thing on their mind.

That’s certainly the case with Colm Cooper. Dermot Geraghty did enough in the first half to restrain him to two scoring opportunities. He scored 1-1.

His fifth-minute strike was a delight, a piece of magic few other footballers would have the audacity to try. Declan O’Sullivan’s frightening pace created the chance, but Cooper had a lot to do after receiving the pass from his captain. He jigged enough to sell David Heaney a dummy, and from 20 yards out, drove the ball into the top corner of the net.

We genuinely feared for Mayo then. They had started brightly and opened the scoring through Alan Dillon. They had decided to employ a two-man full-forward line of Ciaran McDonald and Austin O’Malley, a partnership that blossomed as the game went on.

Yet, Kerry held all the aces. Marc Ó Sé was detailed to look after the roaming Billy Joe Padden and the defender was revelling in the free role. He was the first Kerry player to score a point from play. A minute later, it seemed disaster had struck for Mayo.

William Kirby found Mike Frank Russell with a superb long pass. The forward twisted inside the Mayo full-back line, only to be hauled down by Heaney. Ten minutes gone, Kerry a goal up, with a penalty. The signs were ominous. Yet Dara Ó Cinnéide’s effort went to the left of Clarke’s post.

The miss raised Mayo spirits and they were determined to make the most of the let-off. The understanding between O’Malley and McDonald was eye-catching and they contributed over half of Mayo’s scores.

They reaped a rich harvest in the middle third during the first half, but their opponents had the cushion of Gooch’s moment of magic. And Kerry gave an exhibition of point-scoring.

Between hand and foot, they strung 11 passes together around the 40 yard line in the 23rd minute, before Kirby found a glimmer of light on the right wing. It was an angle no coach would tell you to shoot from, but Kirby curled the ball delightfully over the bar. It left Kerry leading 1-5 to 0-5 and the half continued in the vein of a shoot-out, Dillon nailing a pressure free on the brink of half time to ensure his team were trailing by the slenderest margin at the break, 1-7 to 0-9.

McDonald’s free levelled matters for the only time in the match soon after the break and after Ó Cinnéide uncharacteristically missed a free in the 39th minute, we began to wonder. That only alerted the champions into action.

A ball is likely to go through James Nallen’s hands only once in his career. Unfortunately, it happened in the 40th minute yesterday, and Darragh Ó Sé was sniffing like a poacher to hammer the ball into the net. If Cooper’s goal was a thing of beauty, this was fairly mundane, but Kerry can do both. That’s why they are the champions.

Mike Frank scored a couple of lovely points and Aidan O’Mahony burst from wing-back to knock one over.

In five minutes, the game had gone from hanging in the balance to having an air of predictability about it.

Kerry sprang Paul Galvin from the bench and within six minutes he had scored three points. His third and final score in the 58th minute proved to be his team’s last.

If it simply came down to will and desire, Mayo might have surprised the country. Heaney collapsed to his knees at the final whistle, having played himself past the point of exhaustion. His entire performance was encapsulated in the wonderfully gutsy point he scored in the 49th minute. Twice, it seemed he had run into a blind alley. Twice, he got away from Liam Hassett before finding sight of the posts.

Heaney certainly didn’t deserve to be on the losing side, but that was true of many Mayo players. McDonald showed real leadership qualities, particularly in the second half when Kerry threatened to run off into the sun-set. O’Malley nailed some outstanding scores and was consistently showing well for the ball.

That Mayo kept fighting to the bitter end is to their credit. However, when Kerry can bring an Allstar forward on for 18 minutes, just so he can score three points, you start to appreciate the depth of their talent. They know all about the reservoir in Cork. But they won’t be unduly worried.

Scorers: Kerry: C Cooper (1-1), MF Russell, P Galvin (0-3 each), D Ó Sé (1-0), E Brosnan (0-2), L Hassett, D O’Sullivan, W Kirby, A O’Mahony, M Ó Sé, D Ó Cinnéide (0-1 each). Mayo: K McDonald(0-6, 3 frees) A O’Malley(0-5), A Dillon (0-4, 3 frees), B Moran, A Moran, D Heaney(0-1 each).

KERRY: D Murphy; M Ó Sé, M McCarthy, T O’Sullivan, T Ó Sé, S Moynihan, A O’Mahony; D Ó Sé, W Kirby; L Hassett, D O’Sullivan, E Brosnan, C Cooper, D Ó Cinnéide, M F Russell. Subs: P Glavin for Hassett, E Fitzmaurice for T O’Sullivan (both 52 mins), K Donaghy for D O’Se (61), B Sheehan for Ó Cinnéide (57), D Quill for Russell (63).

MAYO: D Clarke; D Geraghty, D Heaney, G Ruane, P Kelly, J Nallen, P Gardiner; B Moran, S Fitzmaurice; M Moyles, A Dillon, R McGarrity, A O’Malley, C McDonald, BJ Padden. Subs: A Kilcoyne for Moyles (28), K Higgins for Gardiner (41), J Gill for Padden (48), C Mortimer for Kilcoyne (56), A Moran for B Moran (63).

Referee: B Crowe (Cavan).