The outcome was never in doubt from a long way out as Kerry justified their hot favourite's tag to claim the Allianz League Division 1 title at Croke Park.
The winners were full value for their six points victory and, were it not for some wayward shooting, their winning margin would have been even more comfortable in front of a crowd of 21,596.
Kerry’s victory cements their place at the top of the National League’s roll of honour and makes them the inaugural winners of the 'Corn Mhíchíl Uí Mhuircheartaigh', a trophy dedicated to the memory of the late RTE GAA broadcaster.
Kevin McStay’s Mayo struggled to get to grips around the middle of the field from restarts while, more often than not, their attack were also unable to penetrate Kerry’s well-drilled defence.
Kerry playmaker Paudie Clifford shot three points and produced a man of the match performance while his brother, David, finished with eight points, four from frees, despite the best efforts of Mayo’s Donnacha McHugh.
With Ryan O’Donoghue held to just one point from open play, Mayo’s attack lacked the sort of penetration required to get the job done.
Aidan O’Shea did chip in with three points from play, and Eoghan McLaughlin drove forward from wing-back to hit the net in the 47th minute, but scores were far and far between besides.
The game’s first big turning point was also its most significant.
It arrived on 12 minutes when a short kick-out from Mayo goalkeeper, Colm Reape, was intercepted inside the 40m arc by Paudie Clifford and he set up Paul Geaney for a palmed goal.
That score propelled Kerry ahead by 1-3 to 0-4 and they never looked back from there.
Jack O’Connor’s team went on to dominate the second quarter and they led at half-time by 1-9 to 0-7.
Buoyed by the goal, they upped the pace and the tempo with David Clifford (3 frees), Barry Dan O’Sullivan and Paudie Clifford all tagging on scores.
Mayo were visibly knocked out of their stride by the concession of Geaney’s goal and could only raise three white flags during the last 25 minutes of the half from Ryan O’Donoghue (free), Aidan O’Shea and Jordan Flynn.
The second half played out along similar lines with Kerry keeping the Westerners at arm’s length as their style of quick counter-attacking football, and incisive kick-passing into their forward unit, continued to reap benefits.
A string of scores from Joe O’Connor, David Clifford (2, one free) and the irrepressible Paudie Clifford eased the Kingdom ahead by 1-13 to 0-8 after 45 minutes.
The outcome seemed fairly cut and dry at that juncture but Mayo came roaring back into contention just two minutes when Eoghan McLaughlin ran on to a Paul Towey pass before firing a low shot into the Kerry net.
Soon after Ryan O’Donoghue thumped over a two-point effort from a free to cut Kerry’s lead back to three points and it looked like a comeback may be on the cards.
However, Kerry responded to Mayo’s mini-revival impressively with five points down the home stretch from David Clifford (2), Tony Brosnan, Paul Geaney (free) and Conor Geaney to close the game out.
Mayo’s challenge petered out in disappointing fashion with a 54th minute point from Paul Towey and a Ryan O’Donoghue free nine minutes later their only efforts to hit the target.
A rejuvenated Kerry will leave for warm-weather training camp next week ahead of their Munster SFC campaign which begins next month.
Mayo, meanwhile, will have just seven days to regroup before their Connacht SFC quarter-final against Sligo in Castlebar next Sunday.
Kerry: S Ryan; P Murphy, D Casey, J Foley; B Ó Beaglaoich, M Breen, G. White; J O’Connor (0-2), BD O’Sullivan (0-1); G O’Sullivan, P Clifford (0-3, 2‘45s), M Burns; D Clifford (0-8, 4fs), P Geaney (1-2, 1f), D Geaney.
Subs: T Brosnan (0-1) for D Geaney (46): S O’Brien for BD O’Sullivan (47); T O’Sullivan for Ó Beaglaoich (54); C Geaney (0-1) for Burns (54); K Spillane for G O’Sullivan (66); R Murphy for P Geaney (temp, 70, inj).
Mayo: C Reape; S Callinan, J Coyne, D McHugh; S Coen, D McBrien, E Hession; J Carney (0-1), M Ruane; J Flynn (0-1), E McLaughlin (1-0), C Reid; A O’Shea (0-3), F Irwin (0-1), R O’Donoghue (0-5, 1 tpf, 2fs).
Subs: P Towey (0-1) for Irwin (41); D Neary for Flynn (45); A Philips for Reape (54, inj); D O’Connor for Coen (63);
Referee: D Coldrick (Meath)
