All Ireland Junior Football Championship Final

Kerry 2-18 Mayo 2-11

By Colm Gannon at Croke Park

Kerry retained the All Ireland Junior Football Championship in Croke Park with devastating display on Saturday afternoon. They trailed by 0-4 to 0-2 after the first 16 minutes, but from there on in they outscored Mayo by 2-8 to 0-0 up to the half time whistle. 

Their first goal came on 20 minutes when Niall O’Shea beat Eoin O’Donoghue all ends up before firing it low to the net on the near post. That goal kicked Kerry into gear and kicked five more points over the next eight minutes before O’Shea rustled the back of Mayo’s net for the second time after a powerful run by Brian O’Seanachain through the heart of the Mayo defence sent him clear. 

The second half start just as the first ended with Kerry landing a score through Hurley, but Mayo were about to launch an improbable attempt at a comeback from 13 points behind.

Conor Keane and Darren Coen landed a couple of quick points, then Michael Forde hit attempt for one that fell short and through the hands of Darragh O’Shea in the Kerry goal.

Two minutes later Mayo half time sub Robert Holian had the ball in the back of the net and there was just five between the sides. Mayo cut the gap back to three with thanks to scores from Coen and Keane and they looked like they might just do it. 

But Kerry responded like champions do and reeled off five points on the bounce to push themselves well clear as the game entered its final quarter, with David Foran kicking three fine scores in that run and Mayo’s Matthew Flanagan being called on a number of times to keep out a third Kerry goal.

For the second year in a row, Kerry picked up the title by beating Mayo in the final in Croke Park and now move level with Cork in the national roll of honour with 17 Junior All Ireland’s each. 

**Scores for Kerry: **N O’Se 2-0, S M O’Conchuir 0-5 (2fs), K Hurley 0-3, P O’Donoghue 0-3 (1f, 145) D Foran -0-3, A Spillane 0-1, J Foley 0-1, D Roche 0-1, A Barry 0-1.

**Scores for Mayo: ** D Coen 0-5 (3fs) C Keane 0-4, Micheal Forde 1-1, R Hollian 1-0, J Kelly 0-1.

Mayo: M Flanagan; P Ferrick, N Freeman, E O’Donoghue; B Duffy, J Kelly, J Forkan; M Togher, P Collins; B Reape, M Forde, K Gibbons; D Coen, A Farrell, C Keane. Subs: S Gaughan for P Collins, R Holian for B Reape, R Mallee for A Farrell, S Akram for E O’Donoghue (BC), R Doherty for P Ferrick.

Kerry: D O’Shea; F Clifford, J Foley, C O’Luing; P Clifford, A Barry, R Wharton; A Spillane, J C O’Connor; B O’Seanachain, P O’Donoghue, D Foran; N O’Shea, K Hurley, S M O’Conchuir. Subs: K O’Sullivan for P Clifford, L Bastible for J Foley, M O’Donnell for A Spillane, D Roche for K Hurley, A Barry for D Foran, D O’Shea for B O’Seanachain.

Referee: S Gilmartin (Donegal).