Kerry win sets up Munster rematch

Kerry 2-15 Mayo 0-18

Reigning champions Kerry are through to their sixth successive All-Ireland SFC semi-final after goals from Colm Cooper and Dara O’Se proved crucial in this afternoon’s 2-15 to 0-18 defeat of Mayo.

Jack O’Connor’s men, who boasted 11 different scorers at Croke Park today, eased ahead of the westerners early the second half to set up a last four clash with arch rivals Cork on August 28.

Having led 1-7 to 0-9 at the interval, Kerry blitzed two goals clear of the beaten Connacht finalists within 11 minutes of the second half’s start.

Midfielder Dara O’Se’s 41st-minute goal, scrambled home from a teasing Cooper sideline, was central to that and five minutes later, Mike Frank Russell’s third point from his third shot at the Mayo posts pushed the Kingdom 2-10 to 0-10 in front.

Credibly, Mayo kept taking their point chances, with captain Ciaran McDonald leading the way on six points, and they got back to within three at the death.

Kerry lazed to the final whistle and should really have been toasting a further two goals. Cooper blazed an angled shot off the crossbar and substitute Kieran Donaghy should have done better when one-on-one with Mayo ‘keeper David Clarke, but the damage was already done.

It was a business-like start from the champions. Barely 30 seconds after Alan Dillon had clipped Mayo into a fifth-minute lead from a free, Cooper catapulted Kerry in front.

Captain Declan O’Sullivan galloped through the Mayo rearguard to offload for Cooper and he jinked to his left to effortlessly place a rising shot beyond Clarke’s grasp from 15 yards out.

That was the Dr Crokes’ star’s fourth goal in four championship outings, and initial fears of a repeat of the sides’ one-sided All-Ireland final meeting last September looked founded.

Corner back Marc O’Se tagged on a quick point, then missed a second chance before Kerry should have been celebrating a second goal.

David Heaney was forced to drag the advancing Mike Frank Russell to the ground on 10 minutes, leaving referee Brian Crowe with little option but to award a penalty.

2004 skipper Dara O’Cinneide stepped up to take it but drew the spot kick wide, to the right of Clarke’s goal, and the westerners breathed again.

Mayo doggedly kept pace with the Munster kingpins over the remainder of the half, giving themselves every chance at the interval by creeping back to a single point down.

While all of the Kerry forwards, bar the off-key O’Cinneide, pointed in the first half, Mayo were reliant on three points apiece from Dillon and McDonald, who was missing the benefit of the benched Mortimer brothers.

Trevor Mortimer was due to start but a late injury saw him ruled out, and Barry Moran in as his replacement. Still, Mayo notched five of the first half’s closing eight points with Dillon’s third effort in injury-time hauling Mayo back to 0-9 to 1-7 down.

It got even better for Maughan’s men on the restart as McDonald pointed his second free for the leveler. However, the Kerry machine was only beginning to crank up.

O’Se’s goal put Kerry back in front, then Russell, Aidan O’Mahony, and Russell again added telling overs as Mayo were left clutching at straws.

Points from McDonald and Heaney reduced the gap back down to four, but the undoubted strength of the Kerry panel was then laid bare for all to see.

2004 All-star Paul Galvin, who was benched due to a throat infection, came on to hit three points in the space of five minutes to kill off the game as a contest, at 2-15 to 0-13.

With ten minutes remaining, Croke Park began to empty. Mayo were left to indulge in a spot of target practice with young corner forward Austin O’Malley racing his tally up to five points in a flat finish.

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: E Fitzmaurice for T O’Sullivan, P Galvin for Hassett (both 53 mins), B Sheehan for O’Cinneide (58), K Donaghy for D O’Se (62), D Quill for Russell (63)

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), K Higgins for Gardiner (42), J Gill for Padden (48), C Mortimer for Kilcoyne (56), A Moran for B Moran (63)

Yellow cards: Kerry: S Moynihan (35 mins), T O’Sullivan (45)

Mayo: D Heaney (10 mins)

Referee: Brian Crowe (Cavan)