Dooley hat-trick seals Kerry win

DIVISION TWO A ROUND-UP THREE GOALS from John Mike Dooley helped Kerry see off the lively challenge of the Pete Finnerty-managed Mayo - 4-9 to 1-16 - at the Austin Park Tralee yesterday. It was a game with a thrilling finish, a poor opening and some superb goals while Mayo finished with only 13 players - dual star Keith Higgins got a second yellow with 15 minutes to go while Paul Hunt got a straight red just minutes from time.

The game was tied, 4-7 to 1-16, with two minutes of normal time left. But Kerry showed remarkable fighting spirit with a late surge and points from John Egan and Alan Dineen saw Kerry secure a place in the play-offs.

In Mullingar, Westmeath secured top spot in Division Two A with a 0-11 to 0-9 victory over Kildare. In a poor game respective free-takers Brendan Murtagh for Westmeath and Kildare's Oisín Lynch dominating proceedings.

At Arklow, Tommy Devereux set Wicklow on their way to a 3-12 to 3-9 victory over Roscommon with a fine brace of first-half goals.

SCORERS

WESTMEATH: B Murtagh 0-7 (all frees); N Kilcoyne, J Shaw, J Clarke, P Clarke 0-1 each. KILDARE: O Lynch 0-5 (all frees); D. Kennedy, C Buggy, A McAndrew, T Murphy 0-1 each.

KERRY: J M Dooley 3-1; J Egan 0-6 (four frees); B Brick 1-0; A Dineen, J Griffin 0-1 each. MAYO: A Freeman 1-3 (0-2 from frees); S Broderick 0-5; K Higgins 0-4; D McConn 0-2; D McDonnell, C Hynes 0-1 each.

WICKLOW: T Devereux 2-0; S Byrne 1-0; J O'Neill 0-3; J Murphy, J Connors, A Shanahan 0-2 each; G Bermingham, E Mason, D Moran 0-1 each.

ROSCOMMON: T Reddington, G Fallon 1-1 each; A Kelly 1-0; B Kelly 0-3; K McDermott 0-2; S Sweeney, S Curley 0-1 each.

© 2008 The Irish Times

This article appears in the print edition of the Irish Times