Ó Sé a casualty as Kerry squeeze by Mayo

Kerry 0-13 Mayo 0-11: KERRY avoided a fourth successive league defeat to Mayo at Austin Stack Park yesterday but victory came at a cost as Marc Ó Sé sustained a knee injury near the end and had to be taken off.

Kerry started well and Kieran Donaghy kicked them in front in the 11th minute and then Colm Cooper added two points (one from a free) as Kerry led 0-3 to 0-0 after 20 minutes. Ronan McGarrity finally got Mayo up and running in the 21st minute and when Aiden O’Shea fouled Austin O’Malley, Conor Mortimer closed the gap with a pointed free.

Tomás Ó Sé then went on a surging run and found Cooper and he scored the point of the game before adding three more before the break.

Micheál Quirke was on hand to show his forwards how to find the target as Kerry retired 0-8 to 0-6 in front at the interval with Conor Mortimer and Pat Harte getting Mayo’s other first-half points.

Mayo resumed a fired-up side as Kerry continued to struggle, particularly in their half-forward line.

Alan Dillon closed the gap with a 37th-minute point and points from O’Malley and wing back Andy Moran saw Mayo trail by just a point with only eight minutes gone. Cooper responded with a superb effort and then Darren O’Sullivan collected from Aidan O’Shea to push Kerry three in front.

Pádraig Reidy was now marking O’Malley with limited success as Mayo poured forward and it took great blocking by Tomás Ó Sé and Tommy Griffin to keep Kerry in front as manager Jack O’Connor sent in three heavyweights together, Aidan O’Mahony, Séamus Scanlon and Tadhg Kennelly.

Kerry did improve but the quality of ball going in to Donaghy and Cooper was poor and O’Malley, Peadar Gardiner and Tom Cunniffe drove Mayo forward. Cooper and Darren O’Sullivan put Kerry four clear but Aidan Kilcoyne and Andy Moran left two between the sides with 10 minutes left.

Marc Ó Sé then fell awkwardly and had to taken off as Donaghy kicked the insurance point but it was far from vintage Kerry.

KERRY: D Murphy; P Reidy, A O'Shea, T O'Sullivan; T Ó Sé, M Ó Sé, T Griffin; A Maher, M Quirke (0-1); P Galvin, Declan OSullivan, D Walsh; C Cooper (0-8, three frees), K Donaghy (0-2), Darren O'Sullivan (0-2). Subs: A O'Mahony for A O'Shea, S Scanlon for M Quirke, T Kennelly for D Walsh, D Bohan for T Griffin, R Ó Flatharta for M Ó Sé (inj), K O'Leary for Darren O'Sullivan.

MAYO: D Clarke; L OMalley, G Cafferkey, C Barrett; P Gardiner, T Cunniffe, A Moran (0-2); P Harte (0-1), R McGarrity (0-1); M Ronaldson, T Mortimer (0-2, frees), A Dillon (0-1, free); C Mortimer, A O'Malley (0-3), K Conroy. Subs: A Kilcoyne (0-1)for M Ronaldson, A O'Shea for A Dillon.

Referee: P Fox(Westmeath).