Allianz FL D1: Kerry cruise to victory

Allianz Football League Division One

Kerry 2-29 Mayo 0-19

By Colm Gannon at Austin Stack Park

Kerry romped home to victory in Tralee in impressive style, seeing off Mayo by 16 points.

Kerry led by three at the break and the gap was cut back to one just two minutes after the resumption of hostilities through a Rob Hennelly two point free – but that was as good as it got for Mayo.

David Clifford hammered over his first two pointer of the evening on 38 minutes, two minutes later Dylan Geaney finished to the back of the net. Sean O’Shea hit a two pointer and single effort either side of a Joe O’Connor score to have Kerry leading 1-19 to 0-12 with 45 minutes gone on the watch.

Ryan O’Donoghue pulled two points back for Mayo before David Clifford nailed another two pointer and Dylan Geaney got in for his second goal of the day as Kerry highlighted why they are the defending All Ireland and League champions.

Cliford pointed from play, before Sean O’Shea kicked two more two pointers on the spin and there was still time for him to add another orange flag before the end to complete the hammering, with Mayo responding with two-point efforts from Ryan O’Donoghue and Fergal Boland, but it was all in vein.

A first half second quarter burst saw Kerry overturn a five-point deficit 17 minutes in, to go in leading by three points at break despite playing against the breeze.

Dylan Geaney opened the scoring inside three minutes, but Mayo wasted no time in responding with the first two pointer of the day from Jordan Flynn. Keith Evans levelled it up not long after – before Fergal Boland swept the ball over to edge Mayo back in front once more.

Tom O’Sullivan squared it up with a neat finish, before Mayo hit a scoring burst. Kobe McDonald who started a game for Mayo for the first time fisted over then, Ryan O’Donoghue pointed a close range free. Jack Carney drilled over Mayo’s second two pointer of the day to push his side four clear.

David Clifford got his first point of the evening just before the quarter of an hour mark, and then Ryan O’Donoghue swung over a wind assisted two pointer to put Mayo five to the good.

But from then to the turn around it was all Kerry and they outscored Mayo nine points to one before the short whistle. David Clifford chipped in with three points, Sean O’Shea two – while Sean O’Brien, Dylan Geaney and Graham O’Sullivan all raised a white flag each.

Sam Callinan broke the Kerry run but Dylan Geaney rounded off the first half scoring to send Kerry in leading 0-13 to 0-10. In the second half, Kerry ran riot.

Scorers for Kerry: Sean O’Shea 0-11 (4 tp), Dylan Geaney 2-3, David Clifford 0-9 (2 tp), Mike Breen, Joe O’Connor, Graham O’Sullivan, Sean O’Brien, Keith Evans and Tom O’Sullivan 0-1 each

Scorers for Mayo: Ryan O’Donoghue 0-8 (4f, 2 tp), Fergal Boland 0-3 (1 tp), Jack Carney, Rob Hennelly (1 tpf) and Jordan Flynn 0-2 (1 tp) each, Kobe McDonald and Sam Callinan 0-1 each.

Kerry: Shane Murphy; Paul Murphy, Jason Foley, Dylan Casey; Tom O’Sullivan, Tadhg Morley, Armin Heinrich; Cillian Trant, Séan O’Brien; Joe O’Connor, Seán O’Shea, Graham O’Sullivan; Dylan Geaney, David Clifford, Keith Evans.

Subs: Micheal Burns for Graham O’Sullivan, Mike Breen for Tom O’Sullivan, Tomas Kennedy for Dylan Geaney, Liam Smith for Sean O’Brien, Tom Leo O’Sullivan for Paul Murphy, Eddie Healy for Dylan Casey

Mayo: Robert Hennelly; Jack Coyne, Rory Brickenden, Donnacha McHugh; Sam Callinan, Diarmuid O’Connor, Conal Dawson; Bob Tuohy, David McBrien; Jack Carney, Ryan O’Donoghue, Jordan Flynn; Darragh Beirne, Kobe McDonald, Fergal Boland.

Subs: Sean Morahan for Conal Dawson, Diarmuid Duffy for Donnacha McHugh, Stephen Coen for Diarmuid O’Connor, Aidan O’Shea for Darragh Beirne, Cillian O’Connor for Bob Tuohy.

Referee: Martin McNally (Monaghan).