Mayo second best to Kingdom in league final
Kerry’s Pauide Clifford and Enda Hession of Mayo at close quarters in Croke Park on Sunday afternoon. Picture: INPHO/James Crombie
Mayo closed the curtain on their 2025 Allianz Football League campaign in a disappointing fashion when losing the Division 1 final to Kerry in Croke Park on Sunday afternoon.
Mayo failed to trouble the Kingdom who ran out 1-18 to 1-12 winners in near summer-like conditions at GAA headquarters.
A concern to manager Kevin McStay will be the second-half hand injury sustained by goalkeeper Colm Reape. The team commence their Connacht SFC campaign against Sligo next weekend and Reape’s replacement, Adrian Phillips, was making his senior debut when introduced in the 54th minute.
The Green and Red had led 0-4 to 0-2 after 10 minutes but it would take them until the fourth minute of the second-half to score their next four points, during which time Kerry took a firm grip of proceedings – with Paul Geaney’s 12th minute goal helping Jack O’Connor’s side into a 1-9 to 0-7 half-time lead.
The goal was a gift, with Colm Reape’s short kickout intercepted by David Clifford whose brother Paudie squared for Geaney to palm into an empty net.
Aidan O’Shea was a leading light for Mayo in that first-half having scored three points from play but by the 10th minute of the second-half his side was double scores in arrears. However, a 47th minute Eoghan McLaughlin goal, swiftly followed by a two-pointer free from Ryan O’Donoghue, breathed new life into the Connacht men who now only trailed by three points.
Kerry pushed for home though, with David Clifford kicking eight points not to mention five wides as well.
