Own-goal proves decisive as Mayo hang on

Mayo 1-12 Kerry 0-14

The game looked to be going Mayo’s way when they led by six point with seven minutes left, but they had to live on their nerves as Kerry reduced the deficit to the minimum, had a goal-bound shot deflected on to the post, and held their breath as Paul O’Connor had the distance but not the accuracy from a last minute 45.

Hindsight is a great thing, but the Kerry mentors will ask themselves why they didn’t bring on David Murphy earlier than they did. The Legion youngster led the Kerry revival when introduced 10 minutes from time and landed three excellent points. However, it would have been rough on Mayo had they lost, as they held the upper hand for most of the hour.