Kerry determination too much for Mayo

Kerry 1-20 Mayo 1-11

Kerry blasted their way into another All-Ireland football final with a superb second-half display at Croke Park this afternoon.

They finally shook off Mayo’s brave challenge, and led by the resurgent Colm Cooper, turned in an awesome attacking display.

Cooper’s return to form was one of the highlights, the Gooch finishing with a 1-7 tally, including a superb goal.

Darran O’Sullivan had two goal chances in the early stages, first sliding the ball just wide, then denied by an excellent Robert Hennelly save.

After soaking up five minutes of intense pressure, Mayo opened the scoring through scoring through Enda Varley.

Tomas Ó Sé got the Kingdom off the mark in the eighth minute, but Varley and

Cillian O’Connor both steered over frees, and they led by two after a quarter of an hour.

Full-back Ger Cafferkey was winning his aerial battle with Kieran Donaghy, and

O’Connor’s second free made it 0-5 to 0-3 with 22 minutes played, but as mistakes began to creep into the westerners’ game, Kerry took up the baton and struck the final five points of the half.

Eoin Brosnan pushed forward to sweep over a point, Donaghy drifted deep to launch a long range effort, and Cooper converted a couple of frees.

Kerry led by 0-8 to 0-6 at half-time, and stretched the advantage with Kieran O’Leary’s fisted point and a Bryan Sheehan free.

Mayo struggled to stay in touch with a Kingdom side performing with a growing assurance, although they did narrow the gap to two points with scores from Vaughan and Moran.

But Kerry opened up, and shot five on the spin, including Paul Galvin’s first touch, and a Gooch gem.

But in the 52nd minute, Cillian O’Connor drilled home a brilliant goal after Kealy had saved from Andy Moran.

Two minutes later, Cooper cancelled the score out with an equally brilliant effort, an unstoppable rocket to the roof of the net.

It was all over for Mayo, and Vaughan could only manage a point from another goal chance, before the Munster champions finished the job off with scores from Cooper, Galvin and Seamus Scanlon.

Kerry: B Kealy, K Young, M O Se, T O'Sullivan, T O Se (0-1), E Brosnan (0-1), A O'Mahony, A Maher, B Sheehan (0-4, 4f), Darran O'Sullivan (0-1), Declan O'Sullivan, D Walsh, C Cooper (1-7, 0-4f), K Donaghy (0-2), K O'Leary (0-1).

Subs: P Galvin (0-2) for Walsh, S Scanlon (0-1) for Maher, D Bohane for Young, BJ Keane for Declan O’Sullivan.

Mayo: R Hennelly, T Cunniffe, G Cafferkey, K Higgins, R Feeney, D Vaughan (0-3), T Mortimer, A O'Shea, S O'Shea, K McLoughlin, A Dillon, A Moran (0-2), E Varley (0-2, 2f), A Freeman, C O'Connor (1-3 (0-3f).

Subs: R McGarrity for S O’Shea, L Keegan (0-1) for Feeney, A Campbell for Freeman.