Mayo ended a 75-year wait for the county’s fourth All-Ireland Senior Football title with a 1-20 to 1-17 victory over Kerry in a captivating and intense final that went down to the wire at a raucous Croke Park.
In remarkable scenes, the emotion came pouring out of the Mayo squad and supporters as they lifted three quarters of a century worth of pain with a ferocious and tireless performance that denied Kerry a second straight title.
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Mayo, who came into the game having lost 13 finals – including two replays – since their 1951 triumph, suffered a slow start and fell 1-6 to 0-3 behind in the opening exchanges as talisman David Clifford’s goal helped Kerry establish early dominance.
But Mayo bounced back and trailed by only a point at 1-8 to 0-10 at half-time before surging clear in the third quarter, with Darragh Beirne’s goal helping the Westerners build a five-point lead.
Kerry clawed their way back and sat just two points down as they chased a late leveller, but they failed to strike before Tommy Conroy’s score capped a famous win for Mayo and an unforgettable first season under manager Andy Moran.
More to follow.
