Mayo 2-15
Kerry 1-13
ALAN FREEMAN POWERED Mayo to their first win of their league campaign with a five point win over fellow strugglers Kerry.
Freeman, starting his first game of the Allianz campaign, struck 1-5 from full-forward and left with the man-of-the-match gong after a confident display. His goal inside a minute, together with a Jason Doherty goal in first half injury time saw Mayo lead at the break 2-7 to 0-11 having played into the teeth of the wind at MacHale Park, Castlebar.
But Kerry turned the game their way in the third quarter and when Stephen O’Brien found the net with a beautiful strike, Eamonn Fitzmaurice’s men led by two points. O’Brien pointed on 51 minutes to keep Kerry one up but that was their last score of the game.
Rob Hennelly denied them a goal shortly after, saving from Barry John Keane and Mayo kicked on to strike the last six scores from Freeman (4), Kevin McLoughlin and Enda Varley.
Kerry finished with 14 players after full-back Mark Griffin was black carded after they had used their six substitutes.
Scorers for Mayo: Alan Freeman 1-5 (0-3f), Jason Doherty 1-1, Kevin McLoughlin 0-4 (0-3f), Adam Gallagher 0-2 (0-2f), Michael Conroy, Lee Keegan, Enda Varley 0-1 each.
Scorers for Kerry: Stephen O’Brien 1-2, Conor Cox 0-4 (0-3f), James O’Donoghue 0-3, Barry John Keane 0-2, David Moran, Donnchadh Walsh 0-1 each.
Mayo: Rob Hennelly; Ger Cafferkey, Brendan Harrison, Keith Higgins; Lee Keegan, Shane McHale, Colm Boyle; Aidan O’Shea, Jason Gibbons; Kevin McLoughlin, Andy Moran, Jason Doherty; Michael Conroy, Alan Freeman, Adam Gallagher.
Subs: Enda Varley for Gallagher (43), D Vaughan for McHale (53), S O’Shea for Gibbons (59), Cathal Carolan for Conroy (66), Diarmuid O’Connor for Moran (70).
Kerry: Brendan Kealy; Paul Murphy, Mark Griffin, Shane Enright; Peter Crowley, Aidan O’Mahony, Marc Ó Se; Anthony Maher, David Moran; Donnchadh Walsh, James O’Donoghue, Daithí Casey; Barry John Keane, Conor Cox, Stephen O’Brien.
Subs: Fionn Fitzgerald for O’Mahony (half-time), Pa Kilkenny for Enright (42), Michael Geaney for Casey (55), Jack Sherwood for Ó Se (57), Johnny Buckley for Walsh (59), Brian McGuire for Crowley (64).
Referee: Ciarán Brannigan (Down)