Heavy defeat for gallant Mayo in All-Ireland final
Mayo suffered a heavy defeat in the LGFA Under-16 (A) All-Ireland Final played at MacDonagh Park, Nenagh, on Wednesday evening as Kerry recorded an astonishing 4-17 to 0-5 victory.
Kerry led 2-8 to 0-4 at the interval and the Kingdom produced a masterclass display over the 60 minutes.
Mayo were hoping for a bright start to this game, but Kerry pounced for an early goal during the opening minute of the first half, as Beaufort’s Lily Riordan rustled the back of the net.
Points from Mayo’s Katie Hughes, Emily Duffy, and Aoibhinn McNamara helped settle their team-mates, and after eight minutes there was just a point separating the sides, 1-1 to 0-3.
However, Kerry’s more direct style of play and kick-passing was causing plenty of problems for the green and red, and the Munster outfit netted a second goal of the joust on 25 minutes, courtesy of Kelsey Cummins.
The green and gold ended the first half with a flurry of scores, with singles by Riordan, Jessie Lynch (free), and Cummins, helping to garner a commanding 10 point half-time lead for their team-mates.
A brave Mayo tried to stage a second half comeback but those hopes suffered a setback on 40 minutes, when a spellbinding run and expertly taken goal by Castleisland Desmonds Leah Griffin, bridged a 15 point deficit between the sides.
Six minutes later, Kerry’s Riordan teed-up Julie O’Connor and the latter guided home an excellent finish to the back of the Mayo net.
Mayo’s only point of the second half was scored by the industrious Katie Hughes on 51 minutes.
Mayo did have a chance to reduce the arrears on 58 minutes, when they were awarded a spot-kick, however, Hughes’ effort was brilliantly saved by Caoimhe O’Mahony.