Kerry 0-13
Mayo 1-4

by Dan Kearney

Danielle O’Leary struck for four points off the bench and Siofra O’Shea also hit four as TG4 All-Ireland champions Kerry overcame a spirited Mayo at Austin Stack Park in this Group 2 Round 1 encounter.

Kerry, playing with a very strong breeze into the Dunnes Stores end of the ground, made the brighter start and found themselves four points to the good after 13 minutes.

Mixing long and short ball into Siofra O’Shea in the full forward line the hosts got off the mark 35 seconds in when midfielder Anna Galvin pointed from distance.

Caoimhe Evans found O’Shea with a long ball and she punched over in the sixth minute before adding her second two minutes later following a sweeping move. Aishling O’Connell then popped over through the middle to put Kerry four ahead.

Mayo finally started to get their hands on the ball around the middle of the field, with Erin Murray showing well, and their reward came in the 13th minute when a shot for a point from Hannah Reape fell short and was fielded inside by Clodagh Keane.

Keane’s initial effort was blocked by Emma Costello but Knockmore player gathered the rebound and finished expertly past Mary Ellen Bolger.

Kerry responded with Siofra O’Shea’s second point of the game, before Hannah Reape responded for the visitors. Carmody slotted over for Kerry, before Julia Gawalkiewicz made a smart save at the feet of the energetic O’Shea.

Sinead Walsh then hit two brilliant individual points for Mayo before Siofra O’Shea struck for her third score of the half, and Kerry’s third from outside the big arc, to see the hosts take a tentative 0-7 to 1-3 lead in at half time.

Danielle O’Leary was introduced at half time and pointed a couple of minutes after a fine effort from Niamh Carmody, Kerry taking advantage of the yellow carded Hannah Reape, who saw the sin bin following a charge into Carmody.

Snead Walsh responded with her third of the game from a free, but O’Leary responded for Kerry in the 40th minute with her second of the contest after good work from Ní Chonchúir and Anna Galvin to see Kerry lead by 0-10 to 1-4, the kingdom scoring 3 without reply during Reape’s absence.

O’Leary struck for her third and Siofra O’Shea added her fourth as a misfiring Mayo failed to add to to their second half single score. O’Leary then hit her fourth as Kerry finished comprehensive six-point winners.

Kerry travel to play Munster rivals Cork next Saturday whilst Mayo have a week off before entertaining the rebels on June 21.

Scorers - Kerry: S O’Shea 0-4, D O’Leary 0-4, N Carmody 0-2, A Galvin 0-1, A O’Connell 0-1, K Brosnan 0-1f.

Mayo: S Walsh 0-3 (1f), C Keane 1-0, H Reape 0-1.

KERRY: M.E. Bolger; R Rahilly ,E Lynch, F O’Donoghue; A O’Connell, E Costello, C Lynch; M O’Connell, A Galvin ; N Carmody, N Ní Chonchúir, C Evans; K Brosnan, J Lucey, S O’Shea. Subs: N Broderick for R Rahilly 28, D O’Leary for K Brosnan, A Dillane for C Lynch (both h/t), N Quinn for J Lucey 52, K O’Connor for N Carmody 58

MAYO: J Gawalkiewicz; L Wallace, N O’Malley, C Durkan; D Caldwell, K Sullivan, S El Massry; H Reape, S Lally; L Hanley, S Walsh, A Flanagan; E Murray, C Keane, C Doherty. Subs: A Geraghty for S E Massry h/t, C Whyte for A Flanagan, A McDonnell for C Doherty (both 42), E Brennan for L Wallace 48, A Gough for H Reape 52.

Referee: Jonathan Murphy (Carlow).

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