KERRY 2-13

Kerry’s Division 1 status looks secure for another season after a third straight win, their first against Mayo in the league since 2011.

Losing again at home, Mayo find themselves in a relegation battle having failed to expose Kerry when they were reduced to 14 men with the sending off of Kieran Donaghy in the 54th minute for a second yellow card.

Kerry, in fact, scored as many points as them for the remainder of the action. Diarmuid O’Connor saw red in injury-time after he picked up a second caution.

Watched by 12,995 in Castlebar, Kerry were strongest in the third quarter and found the net for a second time in the 47th minute when Donaghy broke down a Colm Cooper pass and Donnchadh Walsh palmed the ball past Rob Hennelly.

Mayo registered 13 wides to Kerry’s four on an afternoon when the momentum the visitors have developed over their last two games set them apart from a wasteful Mayo outfit who unusually had Lee Keegan lining up in the full-back line.

Darran O’Sullivan’s ability to fashion something out of nothing meant Kerry trailed by just a point at half-time, 0-7 to 1-3. The injury-time goal, scored by Johnny Buckley, came completely against the run of play but O’Sullivan was able to wriggle some space for himself and then deftly pivot and run before finding Buckley.

Kerry had taken a 0-2 to no score lead in the seventh minute but didn’t trouble the scoreboard again until the 21st minute. In the meantime, Kerry tagged on four points with Aidan O’Shea assisting in the first couple.

O’Shea almost goaled in the 27th minute when he broke into the square only to kick the ball over the bar from a few yards out. Jason Doherty went close too a minute when only Brendan Kealy’s face prevented his deflected shot finding the net. Kealy was forced off as a result.

Hennelly extended Mayo’s lead to three points on the hour mark and Doherty got in on the scoring act a couple of minutes later before Buckley’s goal.

Scorers for Mayo: R Hennelly (1 free, 1 45), A O’Shea, K McLoughlin, J Doherty, A Moran (frees) (0-2 each); D O’Connor, S Nally, T Parsons, S O’Shea (0-1 each).

Scorers for Kerry: J Buckley (1-1); D Walsh (1-0); D O’Sullivan, B Sheehan (frees), C Cooper (frees), P Crowley, B O’Sullivan (0-2 each); M Ó Sé, BJ Keane (0-1 each).

MAYO: R Hennelly; B Harrison, G Cafferkey, L Keegan; S Nally, D Vaughan, C Boyle; T Parsons, S O’Shea; D O’Connor, A O’Shea, C Carolan; K McLoughlin, J Doherty, C O’Shea.

Subs for Mayo: S Coen for S Nally (46); A Moran for C Carolan (51); M Sweeney for C O’Shea (59); C Barrett for G Cafferkey (65); J Gibbons for J Doherty (67).

Red card: D O’Connor (70+1, second yellow).

KERRY: B Kealy; M Ó Sé, M Griffin, S Enright; P Crowley, A O’Mahony, F Fitzgerald; K Donaghy, B Sheehan; P Murphy, D Walsh, J Buckley; D O’Sullivan, C Cooper, S O’Brien.

Subs for Kerry: B Kelly for B Kealy (blood 29-ht); BJ Keane for S O’Brien (54); B O’Sullivan for J Buckley (56); P O’Connor for P Crowley (black, 62); J Lyne for D Walsh (65); D Daly for D O’Sullivan (70+3).

Red card: K Donaghy (54, second yellow).

Referee: R Hickey (Clare)