The unpredictable and exciting opening to the Allianz Football League continued last weekend, with the highlight being a thriller between Kerry and Mayo in Tralee.
At the outset of the League campaign, a back-to-back-to-back of Galway-Dublin-Kerry will have looked daunting for Mayo, but the Westerners went to Austin Stack Park looking to win three from three.
For Jack O'Connor's Kerry, meanwhile, defeat on the opening weekend to Derry had put a bit more pressure than expected on them. They recovered to come out on top away to Monaghan in week two and, after a tense game on Saturday night, a moment of magic from a familiar source sealed them a one-point victory over Mayo.
There's a moment when the crowd in Tralee collectively realise David Clifford has the ball in his hand, and of course, he's going to kick the winner.
And so he did. pic.twitter.com/DVgsxAgRo6— Balls.ie (@ballsdotie) February 17, 2024
There was an inevitability to the outcome as soon as David Clifford took the ball into hand and, as he has been on so many occasions during his glittering career in green and gold, he was the difference.
Clifford's brilliance is undeniable - but Mayo legend Lee Keegan has suggested that the Mayo defence should have done more to prevent him to get into a shooting position.
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Lee Keegan critical of Mayo defence in Kerry defeat
Appearing on the RTÉ GAA Podcast, Keegan broke down Saturday's thriller in Tralee and said that he was frustrated by the lapse in concentration from the Mayo defence in the dying embers of injury time.
Keegan said that, as soon as Clifford came deep and picked up possession in midfield, Mayo should have shown far more impetus to shut down the back-to-back Footballer of the Year:
You're on about Kerry seeing out that game really well and that being very smart...from a Mayo point of view, I would be disappointed in how they finished that game.
To get a point from a Mayo perspective would have been really good. I don't know if they deserved it for a lot of the performance. Yeah, they hung on for long periods which is brilliant for Mayo and they'll take a lot of positives from that.
I saw David Clifford on the halfway line and thought, 'surely now, just get hands on him, he's the guy they want. Him or Seán O'Shea, they're direct shooters, big match players, to take that shot on.'
It was a really tough kick, I agree, but I still think he got too much time where he took the shot from. Granted, the Mayo defence had been really good up until then, but the review from Kevin [McStay] on the defensive side of stuff will probably irk them a little bit.
Of course, stopping David Clifford is easier said than done, but it was certainly surprising to see him pick up such space within shooting range at such a crucial stage of the game.
In reality, the footage of the point paints an ugly picture for the Mayo defence. The Fossa forward emerges completely unmarked and with a huge amount of space to exploit, leaving him time to settle himself and create an angle for the shot. Rob Brickenden is left to attempt to block the shot from a distance - no easy feat.
Kerry did well to draw in defenders to Seán O'Shea and the rest of the forward line to create the avenue of opportunity for Clifford, but to allow the best player in the country such space and time in a match-winning situation is extremely poor from Mayo.
Despite the disappointing end to Saturday's game, Mayo remain in a strong position in Division One after their impressive opening wins over Galway and Dublin. They sit in third place on four points, only behind Kerry on points difference.
Kevin McStay's Mayo travel to Omagh this weekend, while Kerry face Dublin in Croke Park in a repeat of last year's All-Ireland final. The Kingdom's clash with the Dubs is live on TG4, with throw-in at 7:30pm on Saturday.
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