Mayo hold off Kerry fightback to prevail in Castlebar cracker
HOME WIN: Mayo’s Ryan O'Donoghue scores a two pointer from the sideline. Pic: ©INPHO/Evan Logan
Guess who’s back?
With an awesome first half, with an immense press, with the prophesied dramatic wobble, with the final four points, with an elated pitch invasion, Mayo announced what kind of team they are still capable of being as they overcame Kerry by two points in front of a 9,358 crowd in Castlebar.
Over an hour after the final whistle, the walkway behind the main stand in MacHale Park was still thronged with eager believers in search of Saturday’s heroes. Joy briefly turned to disgust as they learned it was only a member of the press and not the senior panel walking past them. Only briefly. The mood around Kevin McStay’s outfit has shifted significantly after they claimed five points from a possible six across their last three games.
The scoreline seemed fair enough by the end. Mayo had led 0-14 to 1-4 at the turnaround. Jack O’Connor referenced Kerry’s energy levels early on, an undoubted consequence of five games in as many weeks due to the Donegal postponement in the first round. In the end they had exactly the same number of shots as Mayo, 28, but their accuracy inside the arc was abysmal. Mayo scored 17 out of 20 shots from that range with goalkeeper Colm Reape driving forward to get them off the mark in the opening minute. Kerry’s return was just 10 from 22.
David Clifford had to earn every bit of his four points from play as Donnacha McHugh tracked him. Enda Hession did a fine job keeping tabs of Paudie Clifford further out the field. Mayo’s massive midfield axis monstered Shane Ryan’s restarts. He went short 12 times across the contest and long 13, losing eight out there. Aidan O’Shea won five kickouts including one sensational mark. Paudie Clifford bettered it with an immense fetch of his own in the first half. Matthew Ruane and Diarmuid O’Connor also displayed some excellent high-fielding.
As the Football Review Committee considers adjustments to the new rules, there was much to be encouraged by out west. There were over 50 shots, a well-taken goal by Brian Ó Beaglaoich just before half-time as he collected from Mike Breen and burned past Stephen Coen, and another two green flag chances squandered by Paul Towey and Conor Geaney.
The game also produced 32 turnovers. What was particularly striking wasn’t just how teams were losing the ball, but where. When Kerry and Mayo met in the 2024 league, Mayo won one high turnover throughout the entire game. Kerry coughed up the ball just once in their own half in the All-Ireland semi-final defeat against Armagh and zero times in the quarter-final against Derry. Teams opted to retreat back and avoid a press. The juice wasn’t worth the squeeze.
On Saturday, Mayo turned over Kerry six times in their own half. It started with Jack Carney lining up Mike Breen in the opening quarter and Joe O’Connor eventually penalised for steps. Ryan O’Donoghue slotted over a two-point free from that foul on his way to a nine-point haul.
Damien Bourke was trapped on the sideline, Paul Murphy was knocked to the turf, in the last minute, Mayo elected to press up the pitch as Kerry tried to mount one final attack. Mark O’Shea was eventually turned over, O’Donoghue hit the post and Ruane ultimately slotted a simple point.
Credit must go to referee Sean Hurson for allowing a level of physicality in the middle. He policed steps and illegal handpasses, penalising O’Shea for a throw. Jason Foley was pinged for an accidental three-up breach while Ruane was hit with a 50m penalty for failing to hand the ball back. David Clifford opted to take the one-point free instead of going for two from outside the arc.
Of course, Mayo didn’t give a perfect performance. Kerry’s response to their half-time deficit was to kick from range. Dylan Geaney delivered two immense efforts but missed another three. Paul Geaney won a free, kicked his second from play and immediately made way for his cousin Conor who subsequently fisted over with a goal on. David Clifford’s two-pointer handed them the lead on the 57-minute mark. They just couldn’t sustain the challenge.
It is still the start of March and there were noticeable absences on both sides. Kerry had no Tom O’Sullivan, Sean O’Shea and Tadhg Morley. Mayo were still without Diarmuid O’Connor, Tommy Conroy, Paddy Durcan and last weekend’s Man of the Match, Davitt Neary. But this was a sign of what Mayo can contribute, in terms of high-octane football and full-blooded pressing and laudable chaos. Some good work done, more to do. No one headed up Lawn Road dreaming of a day out in July just yet. At the very least, a content fanbase left knowing that the game - and the county - are better in this kind of form.
R. O’Donoghue 0-9 (1 tpf, 1 tp sdl, 3 frees) F. Irwin 0-2, M. Ruane 0-3, D. McHale 0-2, S. Callinan, F. Boland, J. Carney, D. McBrien, C. Reape 0-1 each.
D. Clifford 0-6 (1 tp, 2 free), D. Geaney 0-4 (2 tps), B Ó Beaglaoich 1-0, P. Geaney 0-3 (1 free), C. Geaney, P. Clifford, D. O’Connor 0-1 each.
: C. Reape; J. Coyne, S. Callinan, D. McHugh; S. Coen, E. Hession, D. McBrien; J. Carney, M. Ruane; F. Kelly, D. McHale, J. Flynn; A. O’Shea, F. Irwin, R. O’Donoghue.
: S. Morahan for Callinan (50), E. McLaughlin for Kelly (53), P. Towey for Irwin (59), F. Boland for Flynn (61), B. Tuohy for McHale (67).
S. Ryan; D. Bourke, J. Foley, D. Casey; A. Heinrich, M. Breen, B Ó Beaglaoich; D. O’Connor, J. O’Connor; D. Lyne, P. Clifford, G. O’Sullivan; D. Clifford, P. Geaney, D. Geaney.
M. Burns for Heinrich (31), M. O’Shea for Lyne (50), P. Murphy for Bourke (53), C. Geaney for P. Geaney (54), D. O’Sullivan for D. Geaney (67).
: S. Hurson (Tyrone).
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