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Both sides lucky to get fresh chance

ALL-IRELAND MFC SEMI-FINAL Kerry 0-10 Mayo 1-7 : BOTH TEAMS will feel they left this one behind them in a semi-final of poor…

JOHN MELVIN
Mon Aug 25 2008 - 01:00

ALL-IRELAND MFC SEMI-FINAL Kerry 0-10 Mayo 1-7: BOTH TEAMS will feel they left this one behind them in a semi-final of poor quality.

But there was no shortage of drama as both teams squandered chances of getting into the All-Ireland final.

Kerry will feel they had their best goal chance when they split the defence open in the second half, but Barry John Walsh, a subdued figure, blazed wide with an open goal at his mercy and Kerry chasing a two-point deficit.

Mayo almost snatched it at the death, Aidan Walsh's free dropping just short in the third of three minutes of injury-time.

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Dreadful handling by Kerry gifted Mayo possession time and time again, but it looked as if the Connacht champions might have prevailed when they stretched their interval lead of two points to three inside a minute of the restart thanks to Cathal Freeman.

But while Walsh was not having a good day on the ball, his freetaking was impeccable and he brought Kerry back to within a point.

Colm O'Shea put his side on level terms in the 52nd minute.

Mayo's half-time lead of two points - 1-4 to 0-5 - was deserved. In fact they should have been further ahead but some profligacy in front of the posts: six first-half wides proved costly in the end.

Kerry's propensity for giving away possession could well have come back to haunt them but their problems in this game stemmed form midfield where Mayo dominated through James Cafferty and Ger McDonagh.

Cafferty contributed three of Mayo's first-half points all from play as the sides traded scores.

KERRY: B Kelly; P Reidy, B Shanahan, F Fitzgerald (0-1); P Crowley, J Lyne (0-1), M Hickey; J O'Sullivan, W Gutherie; MT O'Sullivan, D Casey, C O'Shea (0-2); BJ Keane (0-1), BJ Walsh (0-4, four frees), C Tobin (0-1). Subs: J Sherwood for J O'Sullivan (h-t), J O'Donovan for C Tobin (43 min), N O'Shea for MT O'Sullivan (45 min), P Geaney for BJ Keane (54 min)

MAYO: R Hennelly; D Dolan, K Keane, J Broderick; C Freeman (0-1), E Reilly, S Nally; J Cafferty (0-3), A Corduff; S McHale (1-0), A O'Shea, R Geraghty; D O'Hara (0-1), G McDonagh, A Walsh (0-2). Subs: L Cawley for D O'Hara (29 min), D Gavin for a Corduff (48 min), J Carney for L Cawley (53 min).

Referee: M Higgins(Fermanagh).