Mayo beat Kerry in thriller to end 75-year All-Ireland wait

Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Mayo outlasted Kerry in a scintillating final to lift the Sam Maguire Cup for the first time since 1951 By Matt Gault BBC Sport NI senior journalist at Croke Park Published 2 hours ago 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. 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. It also provided an unforgettable conclusion to a whirlwind first season under manager Andy Moran - who lost six finals during his Mayo playing days - and sends starlet Kobe McDonald off to Australia an All-Ireland champion at just 18 years of age. "We kept the faith. We're All-Ireland champions," said an overjoyed Mayo captain Jack Coyne. "This is what every day of my life I've dreamed of doing. To be able to do this, I can't put it into words." To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. This video can not be played Figure caption, Highlights: Mayo crowned All-Ireland champions in dramatic fashion All-Ireland final: Watch reaction as Mayo lift Sam Maguire after historic win Mayo shake off sluggish start It would not be a big day at Croke Park for Mayo without pain for their long-suffering fans - and it came early this year during a nervy opening 15 minutes when Kerry threatened to dart off into the distance. With the always-excellent Paudie Clifford influential early on, Kerry feasted on Mayo nerves to register the game's three opening scores, with David Clifford striking twice after Dylan Casey fisted over the bar. It could have been worse for Mayo, who breathed a sigh of relief when Sean O'Brien shot wide after receiving a Sean O'Shea fist pass and turning sharply to outfox his marker Bob Tuohy. While David McBrien delivered a nerve-settling score for Mayo, the high-pressing Westerners kicked a succession of shots short during the opening quarter as they favoured low-percentage efforts in a bid to ramp up scoreboard pressure. Kerry's scores seemed to come easier, and when a Sean O'Shea effort was followed by Clifford sneaking in behind Donnacha McHugh, rounding J