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Paul Geaney scoring a goal for Kerry. James Crombie/INPHO
AS IT HAPPENED

As it happened: Kerry v Mayo, All-Ireland senior football Super 8s

The Kingdom got of the mark with an emphatic win in Fitzgerald Stadium.

The stakes are high in Killarney today.

It might the opening round of the Super 8s, but both sides know that a win today will give them a huge chance of progressing out of Group 1 and into the All-Ireland semi-finals.

Kerry know how fine the margins are after they fell short last year.

Mayo will certainly be bolstered by the return of Lee Keegan but can they come away with a result from Fitzgerald Stadium?

We’ll have team news for you in the next few minutes along with any late changes before the 4pm throw-in so do stay with us.

Here’s how Kerry are named to line out:

1. Shane Ryan (Rathmore)

2. Jason Foley (Ballydonoghue)
3. Tadhg Morley (Templenoe)
4. Tom O’Sullivan (Dingle)

5. Paul Murphy (Rathmore)
6. Jack Sherwood (Firies)
7. Gavin White (Dr Crokes)

8. David Moran (Kerins O’Rahillys)
9. Diarmuid O’Connor (Na Gaeil)

10. Micheál Burns (Dr. Crokes)
11. Sean O’Shea (Kenmare)
12. Stephen O’Brien (Kenmare)

13. David Clifford (Fossa)
14. Paul Geaney (Dingle)
15. Dara Moynihan (Spa, Killarney)

And here’s the Mayo team:

1. David Clarke (Ballina Stephenites)

2. Chris Barrett (Belmullet)
3. Brendan Harrison (Aghamore)
4. Keith Higgins (Ballyhaunis)

5. Lee Keegan (Westport)
6. Colm Boyle (Davitts)
7. Stephen Coen (Hollymount/Carramore)

8. Donal Vaughan (Castlebar Mitchels)
9. Aidan O’Shea (Breaffy)

10. Fionn McDonagh (Westport)
11. Kevin McLoughlin (Knockmore)
12. Jason Doherty (Burrishoole)

13. Cillian O’Connor (Ballintubber)
14. Darren Coen (Hollymount/Carramore)
15. James Carr (Ardagh)

It looks like we’re in for a scorcher in Killarney today. Who do you think will be able to survive the heat and get a result?


Poll Results:

Kerry (648)
Mayo (284)
Draw (40)

The Kerry warm-up:

Tommy Walsh James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO

David Clifford James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO

Peter Keane James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO

Paul Murphy and Dara Moynihan James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO

The fans are ready to go!

Capacity at Fitzgerald Stadium was reduced by just over 6,000 for this game, and it looks like the ground has already filled up with just half an hour to go before throw-in.

Kerry changes before throw-in!

Peter Keane has made four changes to the starting 15.

1) Gavin Crowly in for Jack Sherwood at centre-back

2) Shane Enright replaces Diarmuid O’Connor in midfield

3) Adrian Spillane comes in for Micheál Burns at half-forward

4) James O’Donoghue starts in corner-forward for Dara Moynihan

The teams are on the field as we get closer and closer to throw-in.

The true purpose of the humble match programme!

Fans in Fitzgerald Stadium before the game James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO

RTÉ commentator Darragh Maloney says the main stand in Fitzgerald Stadium was full for 90 minutes ahead of throw-in.

Kerry 0-0 Mayo 0-0

And we’re off in Fitzgerald Stadium! A bit of a fiery start at the throw-in with some pushing and shoving. 

Kerry 0-0 Mayo 0-1

Lee Keegan makes a surging run through the Kerry defence. A goal was on but he settles for the point.

Kerry 0-1 Mayo 0-1

Sean O’Shea converts a lovely free to get Kerry off the mark. Stephen O’Brien won the free after Keegan pulled his jersey.

Kerry 0-2 Mayo 0-1

David Clifford gets out in front of Brendan Harrison and swings his shot over the bar to put the hosts in front. 

Clifford is looking lively and could be a handful for Mayo today.

Kerry 0-4 Mayo 0-1

Clifford pops over his second point while Paul Geaney also gets on the scoreboard. That’s four points without reply for Kerry.

Kerry 0-4 Mayo 0-2

Darren Coen pops up to get a response for Mayo and cut the deficit to two points.

Kerry 0-4 Mayo 0-3

Fionn McDonagh follows that up with another nice score for Mayo and we’re back to the bare minimum after almost seven minutes.

Blistering start in Killarney but can both sides sustain this pace in the heat?

Kerry 0-5 Mayo 0-3

O’Shea knocks over his second free to give Kerry some breathing space again. Clifford has just won a free for Kerry after outrunning Harrison to the ball and drawing the foul.

Kerry 0-6 Mayo 0-3

It’s a routine kick for O’Shea and he brings his tally up to three already. Both sets of forwards are enjoying the best of these early stages.

Kerry 0-7 Mayo 0-3

That’s a third successive free for O’Shea. Mayo will have to be more disciplined at the back.

Kerry 0-7 Mayo 0-3

SAVE!!

Brilliant bit of genius there from David Clifford. He gets out ahead of Harrison again and then spots a gap to slip a pass into the path of the incoming Paul Geaney.

Geaney tries to get a touch on the ball and finish it to the net but credit to Mayo keeper David Clarke who gets out to snuff out the danger.

The intensity is not dropping in this game.

Kerry 0-7 Mayo 0-4

Cillian O’Connor splits the posts to get their first score in 10 minutes. The gap is back to three but Kerry have another scoreable free up the other end.

Kerry 0-7 Mayo 0-4

Sean O’Shea’s effort comes back off the post. Stephen O’Brien gets on the rebound but overplays the ball and the referee awards a free out.

Kerry 0-9 Mayo 0-4

SAVE!!

Clarke parries a powerful shot from James O’Donoghue over the bar. But a goal was certainly on for Kerry.

A long ball down finds Paul Geaney. He feeds the ball across to O’Donoghue who lets fly, only to see his shot get pushed over the bar.

Clifford pops up with another vital shortly after to push their advantage out to five points.

Paul Geaney in action against Chris Barrett.

Paul Geaney and Chris Barrett James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO

Kerry 0-10 Mayo 0-4

David Moran curls over a brilliant point. But he was given far too much space fromDonal Vaughan as he just glided through the Mayo cover.

Kerry 0-11 Mayo 0-4

Stephen O’Brien puts Kerry seven points in front. Mayo are under serious pressure now. They haven’t scored since the 16th minute.

Donal Vaughan looked to have engineered a goal chance but the Kerry defence do well to kill off the opportunity.

Kerry 0-12 Mayo 0-4

That’s four points for David Clifford. He stands over a kick out at the sideline and just swings it over with that signature languid technique he has.

He’s having a brilliant day out in Killarney.

Kerry 0-12 Mayo 0-4

Aidan O’Shea draws a free from Gavin Crowley. It’s just inside Kerry territory but O’Connor is going for it off the ground.

It comes back into play off the post and Mayo really needed that as we head towards the final few minutes of the first half.

Kerry 0-14 Mayo 0-4

CROSSBAR!!

Kerry punish Mayo as with points from O’Shea and Geaney. However, Geaney was going for a goal as he drilled his shot low, but the woodwork intervenes to save Mayo.

Kerry 0-15 Mayo 0-5

Darren Coen gets Mayo’s first point in 16 minutes but Kerry come straight back down the field to score through Stephen O’Brien.

Mayo have a huge mountain to climb in the second half.

Kerry 0-15 Mayo 0-6

Mayo get a free after a foul on Fionn McDonagh, who looked to be sneaking in for a goal. And O’Connor converts the opportunity to reduce the gap to five.

There will be one minute of added time.

Half-Time: Kerry 0-15 Mayo 0-6

Kerry 0-15 Mayo 0-6

Unbelievable first half from the Kingdom.

They have been totally dominant, particularly up front where David Clifford, Sean O’Shea and Paul Geaney are all in electric form.

Mayo had only four points on the board for most of the first half before Darren Coen and Cillian O’Connor tapped over scores to get their scoreboard moving again.

James Horan’s side will have a lot to do to turn this around in the second half.

Some first-half highlights 

Brendan Harrison and David Clifford James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO

Jason Doherty and Aidan O’Shea with Paul Geaney James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO

Paul Geaney and Chris Barrett James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO

Here’s that brilliant David Clifford shot from the sideline.

Kerry 0-15 Mayo 0-6

Mayo half-time substitute: Seamie O’Shea is on for Mayo as Fionn McDonagh makes way.

Kerry 0-15 Mayo 0-7

We’re back in action in Fitzgerald Stadium! And Cillian O’Connor gets the first score of the second half. It’s exactly what Mayo needed.

Kerry 0-16 Mayo 0-7

Clifford fists the ball over the bar. He could have gone for the goal but took the sensible option to keep Kerry well out in front.

Kerry 0-16 Mayo 0-7

The pace of the game has dropped a little bit, which is understandable given the hot weather.

Crucially though, Kerry still hold a nine-point lead and have a free coming up in a very inviting position after a challenge on Tom O’Sullivan. 

Kerry 0-17 Mayo 0-7

And it’s just shooting practise for Sean O’Shea to reclaim a 10-point lead for Kerry. Mayo badly need a goal now to reignite their challenge. 

Kerry 0-17 Mayo 0-8

Darren Coen hits his third point of the game. But Mayo were looking for a goal though. A brilliant pass into Cillian O’Connor kick-started the move and it came back to Donal Vaughan in the box who couldn’t get the shot off.

Kerry 0-17 Mayo 0-8

Mayo substitution: Andy Moran is introduced for James Carr.

Kerry 0-18 Mayo 0-8

Lee Keegan gets a yellow card as Sean O’Shea stands over yet another free which he taps over with ease.

Meanwhile, Mayo have taken off Kevin McLoughlin with Ciaran Treacy replacing him.

Kerry 0-18 Mayo 0-9

Cillian O’Connor equals Colm Cooper’s scoring record to reduce the gap again. He could make history before the end of the game but it will be little consolation to him if Mayo can’t pull off a result here.

Kerry 0-18 Mayo 0-9

CROSSBAR!!

O’Connor almost took the record in style with a thundering shot at the Kerry goal. But his shot rattles off the woodwork and that just about sums up Mayo’s day.

Kerry 0-18 Mayo 0-10

And Cillian O’Connor becomes the all-time top championship scorer. That free brings his side to within eight of Kerry.

Do they still have enough time to really make a game of this?

GOAL! (Geaney ’56) Kerry 1-18 Mayo 0-10

Kerry 1-19 Mayo 0-10

And that looks to be game, set and match for Kerry. It was a brilliant move from the hosts, with Stephen O’Brien racing in from along the sideline with acres of space in front of him.

He feeds the ball across the danger area for Paul Geaney to palm into the net.

Clifford follows up with a point and Mayo just want this to be over at this stage.

Kerry 1-20 Mayo 0-10

O’Brien clips the ball over the bar with the aid of the post. He has been immense for Kerry today.

Mayo substitution: Lee Keegan makes way for James McCormack.

Kerry 1-20 Mayo 0-11

Mayo sub Fergal Boland scores for Mayo but it looks to be game over at this stage.

Kerry 1-20 Mayo 0-13

That’s three on the bounce from Mayo, with Andy Moran and Ciaran Treacy finding their range for the last two points.

Kerry substitution: Jason Foley comes off for Brian O’Beaglaoich.

Kerry 1-21 Mayo 0-13

Clifford brings his tally up to seven points with a free. This game is just winding to an inevitable conclusion. 

Kerry 1-21 Mayo 0-13

PENALTY!!

James McCormack pushed in the Kerry square. Mayo can make the final few minutes interesting if they can convert this.

Kerry 1-21 Mayo 0-15

SAVE!!

Brilliant save from Shane Ryan who tips Cillian O’Connor’s shot over the bar. There was plenty of power behind the shot but Ryan did well to get to the ball in time.

Moran follows that up with another point. He’s made a huge impact since his introduction.

Kerry 1-21 Mayo 0-15

Four minutes of additional time to be played. Meanwhile, Jason Doherty has been dismissed with a black card.

Here’s that Paul Geaney goal!

Full-Time: Kerry 1-22 Mayo 0-15

Kerry 1-22 Mayo 0-15

It certainly wasn’t the battle we envisaged.

Kerry just bossed the game in every department. Their inside forwards were superb and they dominated in midfield as well.

Mayo just couldn’t summon an answer to Kerry’s superiority, although they had goal chances that could have changed the course of the game.

Cillian O’Connor missed a penalty but he also became the all time top scorer in championship football.

Kerry will take huge momentum from that result as we head for phase two in the competition. 

Well that’s all from us folks, we hope you enjoyed the coverage. Bye for now!

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