Mayo appear to have a real good minor side after they thrashed a well regarded Kerry side by all of ten points in this semi-final replay at Limerick Gaelic Grounds on Saturday afternoon.
Clearly the better team first time out in Croke Park, six days previous, they allowed the Kingdom off the hook, but not second time around.
Kerry came into the replay with the star name in the grade in the form of Barry John Walsh, son of Sean and brother of senior star Tommy, but it was Mayo full forward Aidan Walsh who grabbed the headlines with a total of 1-06, including five frees.
Kerry made the brighter opening, with points from Jamie O’Sullivan and Colm O’Shea but it proved a false dawn, as Mayo with John Carney excelling in a sweeper at the back, put Kerry to the sword.
Aidan Walsh took advantage of a Kerry mistake to find the goal after five minutes, and the same player along with Cathal Freeman and Raymond Geraghty added a succession of points, before in the 20th minute Alex Corduff stole in for goal number two for Mayo after a point attempt rebounded off an upright.
With a deficit of over ten points, the Munster men needed a break, and a goal from Barry John Walsh just before the interval gave them a glimmer of hope.
Mayo led 2-08 to 1-02 at half time and with Kerry native Aidan O’Shea driving through the heart of the Kerry defence only outstanding defensive work by Padraig Reidy, Fionn Fitzgerald and Barry Shanahan kept Mayo out.
Despite a third quarter Kerry fight back, Mayo were always too strong and when substitute Dean Gavin scored goal number three, Mayo were through to play Tyrone in the All-Ireland final on 21 September.
Mayo: R Hennelly, D Dolan, K Keane, J Broderick, S McHale, E Reilly, S Nally (0-1), J Cafferty, G McDonagh, C Freeman (0-2), A O’Shea (0-1), R Geraghty (0-3), J Carney, A Walsh (1-6, 5 f), A Corduff (1-0).
Substitutes: D Gavin (1-0) for Carney, D O’Hara for Corduff, B Fahy for McDonagh.
Kerry: B Kelly, P Reidy, B Shanahan, F Fitzgerald (0-1), J Lyne, J O’Sullivan (0-1), M Hickey, C Moriarty, W Guthrie, MT O’Sullivan, D Casey (0-1), C O’Shea (0-2, 1 f), J O’Donoghue, BJ Walsh (1-2, 2 f), C Tobin (0-1).
Substitutes: P Crowley for J O’Sullivan, J Sherwood for MT O’Sullivan, BJ Keane (0-1) for O’Donoghue, J O’Mahony for Hickey, P Geaney for Sherwood.
Referee: E Kinsella (Laois).
