Kingdom in command at half-time

Kerry 1-7 Mayo 0-9 (HT)

All-Ireland champions Kerry held a one-point advantage over Mayo in a very competitive All-Ireland SFC quarter-final at Croke Park this afternoon.

Colm ‘Gooch’ Cooper struck the blow that splits the side at the break, as he beat out Mayo goalkeeper David Clarke with a well-placed, rising goal shot in the sixth minute for a 1-0 to 0-1 lead.

Kerry had a second goal chance four minutes later, but 2004 captain Dara Ó Cinneide pulled his penalty, awarded for a foul by David Heaney on Mike Frank Russell, to the right of Clarke’s goal.

Mayo have battled back well, with skipper Ciaran McDonald and Alan Dillon both hitting three points apiece in the opening half. John Maughan’s men have struck five of the half’s closing eight points.

An Ghaeltacht star O’Cinneide is the only Kerry forward not to have scored so far.

KERRY: D Murphy; M O'Se, M McCarthy, T O'Sullivan; T O'Se, S Moynihan, A O'Mahony; D O'Se, W Kirby; L Hassett, D O'Sullivan (capt), E Brosnan; C Cooper, D O'Cinneide, MF Russell. Subs used:

MAYO: D Clarke; D Geraghty, D Heaney, G Ruane; P Kelly, J Nallen, P Gardiner; R McGarrity, S Fitzmaurice; M Moyles, C McDonald (capt), A Dillon; B Moran, BJ Padden, A O'Malley. Subs used: A Kilcoyne for Moyles (19 mins)

Yellow cards: Kerry: S Moynihan (35 mins)

Mayo: D Heaney (10 mins)

Referee: Brian Crowe (Cavan)