ALL-IRELAND SFC QUALIFIER ROUND THREE Kerry 0-14 Sligo 1-10: THIS GAME turned on a late penalty save by Diarmuid Murphy who sprung cat-like to his right and managed to turn David Kelly's effort away and Kerry somehow had hung on.

Kerry boss Jack O’Connor admitted it was a tough struggle. “I just feel one of these days we’re going to gel a bit, because, up front, we’re getting a lot of ball, and we’re struggling, not playing with the confidence we should have. I felt if we had got one of those goals in the first half, you’d see a better performance in the second half. But it’s obvious we’re struggling.”

Kerry began brightly with early points from Declan O’Sullivan and Darragh Ó Sé and Séamus Scanlon in imperious form at midfield.

However, the Sligo full-back line put the shackles on Tommy Walsh and Colm Cooper and Kerry spurned two goal-scoring opportunities, firstly in the 10th minute when Walsh had his goal-bound effort saved by Philip Greene and then in the 27th minute after Walsh’s quick pass sent Seán O’Sullivan through, but he blazed wide.

Sligo were busy and vibrant with David Kelly giving Marc Ó Sé a torrid time while Stephen Coen in the other corner was also a handful, as Eamon O’Hara worked hard to get them ball. Points from Mark Breheny and Adrian Marren, from frees, and Kelly and Coen (2) saw Sligo trail 0-7 to 0-6 as the first half drifted into injury-time.

Then wing back Jonathon Davey sent in a high ball that O’Hara knocked into the path of Kelly and when Murphy parried his first effort, Kelly turned the ball into the net from an acute angle for a 1-6 to 0-7 interval lead.

Kerry introduced Pádraig Reidy for Marc Ó Sé, but, despite glimpses of brilliance from Séamus Scanlon, Paul Galvin, Tomás Ó Sé and Declan O’Sullivan, their was no fluency in their play.

It was nip and tuck early in the second half, but then Kerry lost their way just like against Longford and they only managed one point in the final 24 minutes. Sligo won a penalty on 66 minutes when Jonathan Davey was hauled down by Tommy Griffin, but Murphy saved the day.

KERRY: D Murphy, M Ó Sé, T Griffin, T O'Sullivan; T Ó Sé, M McCarthy, A O'Mahony; S Scanlon, D Ó Sé (0-1); P Galvin (0-3), Declan O'Sullivan (0-4), D Walsh (0-1, capt); C Cooper (0-2, frees), T Walsh (0-1), S O'Sullivan (0-1, free). Subs: P Reidy for M Ó Sé (h-t), D O'Sullivan for D Walsh (52 mins), B Sheehan (0-1)for S O'Sullivan (58 mins), M Quirke for Scanlon, D Bohan for A O'Mahony (both 64 mins)

SLIGO: P Greene; P McGovern, N McGuire, C Harrison; M McNamara, R Donovan, J Davey; E Mullen, T Taylor; M Breheny (0-1), A Costello, A Marren (0-4, three frees); D Kelly (1-1), E O'Hara (0-1), S Coen (0-2). Subs: N Ewing for M McNamara (33 mins), S Davey for E Mullen (h/t), G Gaughan for a Costello (54 mins), K Sweeney (0-1)for S Coen (58 mins)

Referee: Syl Doyle(Wexford).