The Kingdom will now have to hope for their first points of the campaign when they entertain high-flying Tyrone next weekend.

Mayo scored two goals against the wind and finished the game strongly to secure their first victory of the campaign.

They got a dream start when Alan Freeman found the net inside half a minute and then rattled the net in the dying moments of the half when Jason Doherty scored.

That left Mayo ahead by 2-7 to 0-11 at the interval having played against the strong wind.

Kerry rallied in the third quarter and Stephen O’Brien gave them hope when he sent a cracking shot to the top left corner of the net to make it 1-12 to 2-7 after 38 minutes.

But the Kingdom managed to score just one more point after that, an effort from O’Brien after 50 minutes and they were guilty of some dreadful wides when there was just a goal between them in the final quarter.

Kerry did not do enough when they had the wind in the opening half despite the best efforts of James O’Donoghue, Barry John Keane and Donnchadh Walsh.

Aidan O’Shea and Anthony Maher enjoyed a great battle in the middle of the field but Mayo were able to work the ball forward into the wind with Kevin McLoughlin, Adam Gallagher and Michael Conroy getting crucial points in addition to the goals at either end of the half.

Mayo weathered the Kerry storm and never looked back when Freeman drew them level with 14 minutes remaining.

He then pointed a free to put them ahead two minutes after that and they closed out a merited and badly needed victory with fine scores from Freeman, Kevin McLoughlin and Enda Varley.

This on a day when Kerry lost Shane Enright and Mark Griffin to black cards but Mayo captain Andy Moran was lucky to escape without one before the break.

Scorers:

Mayo: A Freeman 1-5 (0-3f), K McLoughlin 0-4 (3f), J Doherty 1-1, A Gallagher 0-2 (2f), L Keegan 0-1, M Conroy 0-1, E Varley 0-1.

Kerry: S O’Brien 1-2, C Cox 0-4 (3f), J O’Donoghue 0-3 (1f), BJ Keane 0-2, D Walsh 0-1, D Moran 0-1.

Mayo: R Hennelly; G Cafferkey, B Harrison, K Higgins; L Keegan, S McHale, C Boyle; A O’Shea, J Gibbons; K McLoughlin, A Moran, J Doherty; M Conroy, A Freeman, A Gallagher.

Subs: E Varley for Gallagher (42), D Vaughan for McHale (51), S O’Shea for Keegan (58), C Carolan for Conroy (64), D O’Connor for Moran (69).

Kerry: B Kealy; P Murphy, M Griffin, S Enright; P Crowley, A O’Mahony, M Ó Sé; A Maher, D Moran; D Casey, J O’Donoghue, D Walsh; C Cox, S O’Brien, BJ Keane.

Subs: F Fitzgerald for O’Mahony (35), P Kilkenny for Enright (black card 42), M Geaney for Casey (56), J Sherwood for Ó Sé (57), J Buckley for Walsh (58), B McGuire for Crowley (64).

Referee: C Brannigan (Down).