Half time subs the difference for Kerry in dominant second half display to see off Mayo

It was a tight affair in the first half but Kerry pulled away in the second.

HOME WIN: Kerry got the better of Mayo in the second half of their round one All-Ireland clash. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship Group 2: Kerry 0-13 Mayo 1-4

All-Ireland champions Kerry made a successful opening round defence of their title when they proved too strong for a spirited Mayo side earning a hard fought win at Austin Stack Park this afternoon.

Kerry lined out without four starters, Deirdre Kearney, Aoife Dillane, Danielle O’Leary and Rachel Dwyer while Mayo also made four changes with Ella Brennan, Ciara Whyte, Ava McDonnell and Alannah Devereux missing out.

But once Kerry introduced Danielle O’Leary for the second half she made Mayo pay with four points from play and the Westerners never looked like causing a shock.

Kerry had the wind in the opening half and did not make the most of it as they struggled to gain primary possession at midfield. Anna Galvin gave the Kingdom the dream start with a point inside the opening minute and doubled their total when Siofra O’Shea finished a Caoimhe Evans pass with a superb point. 

O’Shea and Aisling O’Connell added points for Kerry but they were rocked back in the 13th minute when a high Hannah Reape effort for a point dropped short and though Clodagh Keane’s initial effort was saved by Emma Costello, Keane finished the rebound to the net.

Katie Brosnan then converted a free but Mayo dominated possession for the remainder of the half with Reape, Erin Murray, and Danielle Caldwell causing the Kerry defence problems. Two points from Sinead Walsh closed the gap to a single point at the break, 0-7 to 1-3.

Kerry manager Mark Bourke was forced to introduce Danielle O’Leary and Aoife Dillane for the second half and O’Leary proved to be the Kingdom’s saviour. She kicked four points from play and was unstoppable in general play. Mayo never got going in the second period and only managed a single point from a free kicked by one of their best performers in Walsh and never troubled the scoreboard from play.

Kerry with Aishling O’Connell, Emma Costello, Mary O’Connell, Caoimhe Evans and Siofra O’Shea ensured that Kingdom continue their unbeaten run.

Scorers for Kerry: S O’Shea and D O’Leary (0-4 each), N Carmody (0-2), A O’Connell, K Brosnan (1f), and A Galvin (0-1 each).

Scorers for Mayo: C Keane (1-0), S Walsh (0-3,1f), and H Reape (0-1 each) 

KERRY: M.E. Bolger; E Lynch, R Rahilly, F O’Donoghue; A O’Connell, E Costello, C Lynch; M O’Connell, A Galvin (capt.); N Carmody, N Ní Chonchúir, C Evans; K Brosnan, J Lucey, S O’Shea.

Subs: N Broderick for R Rahilly (29), Aoife Dillane for C Lynch (h/t), D O’Leary for K Brosnan (h/t), N Quinn for J Lucey (54) 

MAYO: J Gawalkiewicz; L Wallace, N O’Malley, C Durkan; D Caldwell (capt.), K O’Sullivan, S El Massry; H Reape, S Lally; L Hanley, S Walsh, A Flanagan; E Murray, C Keane, C Doherty 

Subs: A Geraghty for S El Massry (h/t), C Whyte for A Flanagan (42), A McDonnell for C Doherty (42), E Brennan for L Wallace (48), A Gough for H Reape (inj 51) 

Referee: J Murphy (Carlow)