Mayo strike at the death to end Kerry's winning start to league title defence

Mayo LGFA manager Liam McHale file photo .

Mayo 0-8

By Dan Kearney

SINEAD WALSH WAS Mayo’s saviour at Fitzgerald Stadium when she struck a point at the death to secure a draw in the fourth round of the Lidl National Football League Division 1.

Mayo trailed Kerry by 0-8 to 0-5 with 10 minutes remaining but the visitors stormed back to hit three points in-a-row, to secure a brilliant draw and bring Kerry’s winning start to the campaign to an end.

Mayo suffered a loss before the game when All-Star Danielle Caldwell was ruled out with an injury but she was replaced by the very effective Sinead Cafferky who went on to have a fine game.

Kerry, playing with the aid of the breeze, started the first half in flying fashion and found themselves 0-3 to no score ahead with seven minutes gone.

Anna Galvin was very much to the fore in that opening salvo, popping over two fine scores; the first after a pass from Amy Harrington and the second assisted by Mary O’Connell.

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When Níamh Ní Chonchúir pointed a possible goal chance to put Kerry three ahead after a 40 metre pass from Danielle O’Leary, the signs looked ominous for Mayo, but they dusted themselves down to come right back at Kerry for the remainder of the half.

Pressure on the Kerry kickout saw Maria Cannon point a placed ball in the ninth minute and although they kicked a couple of wides, Cafferky and a brilliant individual effort from Cannon saw the visitors level matters by the 20th minute.

Kerry were wasteful, kicking six wides in the first half as their forward division was well held by some strong cover in the Mayo backline.

Cafferky hit a fine individual score to put the Connacht side one ahead once more in the 21st minute but that was to be their final score of the half before Amy Harrington got a welcome score for the home side in the final seconds of the half to see the sides go in at 0-4 apiece at the break.

Kerry looked to have control of the second half when they pushed 0-8 to 0-5 ahead on the 50th minute-mark. They also letting a couple of goal chances slip with Niamh Ní Chonchúir rattling the crossbar in the 41st minute and Hannah O’Donoghue’s effort in the 43rd minute well kept out thanks to a combination of Saoirse Lally and goalkeeper Laura Brennan.

Mayo came right back into the game and struck on the bounce thanks to Walsh and a Cannon free before Walsh performed her heroics with the equaliser in the last minute.

Scorers for Kerry: A Galvin 0-2, L Ní Mhuircheartaigh 0-2 (1f), A Harrington 0-1, N Ní Chonchúir 0-1, N Carmody 0-1, E Dineen 0-1.

Scorers for Mayo: M Cannon 0-4 (0-3f), S Cafferky 0-2, S Walsh 0-2.

KERRY: C Butler; E Lynch, D Kearney, A Dillane; B O’Connor, C Lynch, C Murphy; M O’Connell, A Galvin.; J Gill, D O’Leary, A Harrington; H O’Donoghue, J Lucey, N Ní Chonchúir.

Subs: A O’Connell for B O’Connor, N Carmody for J Gill, E Dineen for J Lucey (all HT), L Scanlon for M O’Connell (38), L Ní Mhuircheartaigh for A Harrington (44), K Cronin for A Dillane (46), C O’Brien for C Murphy (51), K Brosnan for N Ní Chonchúir (59).

MAYO: L Brennan; A Fitzpatrick, N O’Malley, S Lally; K Sullivan, S Cafferky, E Murray; A Geraghty, H Reape; F McLaughlin, L Cafferky, M Cannon; T Needham, F McHale, S Walsh.

Subs: J Mortimer for E Murray (42), E Needham for S Cafferky (44), E Reape for A Fitzpatrick (51), C Doherty for T Needhan (56).

Referee: Patrick Smith (Waterford).