Kerry 3-16
Mayo 3-13
(After extra-time – Kerry 3-11 Mayo 3-11 after 70 minutes)
IN ONE OF THE most incredible games of the decade, Kerry sealed their place in the All-Ireland final with a heroic 3-16 to 3-13 extra-time victory over Mayo in the Gaelic Grounds.
Mayo ran out of road and players as a fresher looking Kerry team lasted the distance in a titanic clash.
In a dramatic extra-time period, Mayo went two points in front but lacked a ruthlessness to really push on and seal the victory. Barry John Keane levelled the game with a couple of frees and sub Jonathan Lyne kicked two huge scores either side of one from Paul Geaney to ensure another day out in Croke Park.
Kerry started the game at a breakneck speed but couldn’t turn their advantage into scores. Against the run of play Cillian O’Connor dispatched two goals in the space of six minutes, one of them a penalty, to hand Mayo the initiative after 21 minutes.
Trailing by 2-3 to 0-2 with ten minutes left in the opening half, Kerry fought their way back into the game. O’Donoghue’s strike on goal was blocked by Kevin Higgins but the ball bounced perfectly into the path of Kieran Donaghy who volleyed it into the net.
O’Donoghue finished his second penalty with style in the 42nd minute after Donaghy was brought down. O’Donoghue brought his personal tally to 2-6 soon after with a couple of frees and a Marc Ó Sé point sent Kerry 2-8 to 2-6 in front after 50 minutes.
But Mayo responded with a goal of their own moments later to take the lead once again, when Kerry goalkeeper Brian Kelly dropped a long ball into the square and O’Connor made no mistake from close range.
The lead changed hands a couple of times before O’Donoghue was adjudged to have been tripped by Ger Cafferkey in the square and he slotted home his second penalty on 62 minutes.
The Kingdom led by two in the closing stages of normal-time but a score each from sub Michael Conroy and Donal Vaughan brought the game to extra-time.
Mayo led early on in extra-time but couldn’t sustain their momentum and Lyne announced himself on the scene with two fine scores to win the game.
Scorers for Kerry: J O’Donoghue 2-6 (2-0 pen, 0-2f), P Geaney 0-4 (0-3f), K Donaghy 1-0, BJ Keane 0-2 (0-2f), Jonathan Lyne 0-2, Killian Young 0-1, M Ó Sé 0-1.Scorers for Mayo: Cillian O’Connor 2-5 (1-0 pen, 0-3f), A Moran 1-1, Jason Doherty 0-3, A Freeman 0-1 (0-1f), K McLoughlin 0-1, M Conroy 0-1.
MAYO
1. Robert Hennelly (Breaffy)
4. Keith Higgins (Ballyhaunis)
3. Ger Cafferkey (Ballina)
2. Tom Cunniffe (Castlebar Mitchels)
26. Lee Keegan (Westport)
6. Colm Boyle (Davitts)
7. Donal Vaughan (Ballinrobe)
Barry Moran
9. Seamus O’Shea (Breaffy)
10. Kevin McLoughlin (Knockmore)
11. Aidan O’Shea (Breaffy)
12. Jason Doherty (Burrishoole)
13. Cillian O’Connor (Ballintubber)
24. Andy Moran (Ballaghaderreen)
15. Alan Dillon (Baillintubber)
Subs:
Tom Parsons (Charlestown) for A O’Shea (36-HT)
Tom Parsons (Charlestown) for B Moran (HT)
Alan Freeman (Aghamore) for Cillian O’Connor (HT-40)
Michael Conroy (Moy Davitts) for Aidan O’Shea (HT-48’)
Kevin Keane (Westport) for G Cafferkey (68)
B Harrison (Aghamore) for D Vaughan (79)
Cathal Barrett (Belmullet) for C Boyle (84).
KERRY
1. Brian Kelly (Killarney Legion)
18. Killian Young (Renard)
3. Aidan O’Mahony (Rathmore)
4. Shane Enright (Tarbert)
5. Paul Murphy (Rathmore)
6. Peter Crowley (Laune Rangers)
7. Fionn Fitzgerald (Capt) (Dr Crokes)
8. Anthony Maher (Duagh)
9. David Moran (Kerins O’Rahillys)
10. Michael Geaney (Dingle)
11. Johnny Buckley (Dr Crokes)
12. Donnchadh Walsh (Cromane)
22. Kieran Donaghy (Austin Stacks)
14. Paul Geaney (Dingle)
15. James O’Donoghue (Killarney Legion)
Subs:
Marc Ó Sé (An Gaeltacht) for Enright (21)
Pa Kilkenny (Glenbeigh/Glencar) for Fitzgerald (BC, 39)
Barry John Keane (Kerins O’Rahilly’s) for P Geaney (39)
Declan O’Sullivan (Dromid Pearses) for Buckley (54)
Kieran O’Leary (Dr Crokes) for M Geaney (60)
Jonathan Lyne (Killarney Legion) for D Walsh (69)
Mark Griffin (St. Michaels/Foilmore) for Crowley (80)
Paul Geaney (Dingle) for O’Donoghue (80)
Bryan Sheehan (St. Mary’s Cahirciveen) for O’Mahony (83)
