GAA: SUPER COOPER; Deadly Gooch fires the Kingdom to semi-final showdown with Rebels Kerry.........2-15 Mayo.........0-18.

Byline: Jackie Cahill

DON'T be fooled by the score-line - this was as predictable as it gets.

Mayo restored some lost pride after last year's All-Ireland final mauling - but champions Kerry were in a different class once more at Croke Park yesterday, in front of a disappointing 34,031 attendance.

Just three points separated the sides at the final whistle and credit Mayo for a gutsy final quarter, when they could have rolled over.

They kicked the last five scores of the game to bring a degree of respectability to the final score-line, but in truth this game ended as a contest when Darragh O'Se scored Kerry's second goal, six minutes after half-time.

Trailing by just a single point at the break, 1-7 to 0-9, Mayo dragged themselves level with a Ciaran McDonald free but Kerry were finding scores much easier to come by.

And when midfielder O'Se took advantage of some slack Mayo defending to pounce from close range - it had the same effect on Mayo as spricking a balloon with a pin.

Kerry pushed on from there and led by eight points on two occasions before Mayo rallied themselves for the final quarter of the game.

But it was comfortable for Munster and All-Ireland kingpins Kerry, who set up a semi-final showdown with old rivals Cork on August 28.

Yesterday, Kerry always looked to have an extra few gears in reserve and it's not a bad predicament for boss Jack O'Connor when he can bring players of the quality of Paul Galvin, Eamon Fitzmaurice and Declan Quill on from the bench.

All-Star Galvin was deemed not fit enough to start this game, although he staked his claim for a starting place against Cork with a 0-3 haul. By the time he was introduced, with 17 minutes remaining, the result was never in any doubt.

In the first half, Mayo stuck doggedly to their task and rejigged their defence to cope with the star-studded Kerry attack, which had demolished them under the high ball last September.

Only wing-backs Pat Kelly and Peadar Gardiner started in their match programme positions. James Nallen pulled back to mark Colm 'Gooch' Cooper, Dermot Geraghty was on Declan O'Sullivan, David Heaney picked up Mike Frank Russell and Gary Ruane tailed Dara O'Cinneide.

And although 0-18 is a decent tally, the westerners had to work awfully hard for points and never looked like getting inside for a goal. Barry Moran was called in by Mayo boss John Maughan for a Championship debut and in the reshuffle, Ronan McGarrity went from midfield to left half-forward, with Moran partnering Shane Fitzmaurice at midfield.

The rug was pulled from beneath Mayo's feet after just six minutes when Gooch struck for another killer goal against Mayo.

Alan Dillon had put the beaten Connacht finalists ahead just a minute earlier from a free, but you can't relax against Kerry for a second.

Cooper struck with a fabulous left- footed strike, high past David Clarke at the Hill 16 end after taking a pass from Declan O'Sullivan.

It looked even worse for Mayo in the 10th minute when Heaney had no option but to take down Russell to concede a penalty.

But the normally reliable O'Cinneide dragged his low effort just wide of Clarke's right hand upright.The remainder of the first half was pretty evenly matched with Kerry popping over some spectacular scores from acute angles.

Skipper O'Sullivan was punching holes in the Mayo defence with his bursts from the half-forward line and at the other end, All-Star full-back Mike McCarthy had the upper hand on Mayo play-maker Ciaran McDonald.

McDonald kicked two points from play in the first half - but the more familiar result between the two was McCarthy charging first to the ball before completing a clearance.

Alan Dillon was making good headway against Seamus Moynihan but the impressive Aidan O'Mahony - who got forward to kick a point - did well when he was shoved into the centre half-back position for the second half.

Austin O'Malley, who finished with 0-5 from play, looked good in possession but Kerry had a greater spread of scores - seven players finding the range from play in the first half alone.

McDonald and O'Malley formed the two-man full-forward line but out the field the problems were obvious. Michael Moyles was taken-off after just 19 minutes and the roving Billy Joe Padden couldn't get on the ball often enough.

The game was pedestrian stuff in the second half but in fairness Mayo were the architects of their own downfall for O'Se's 41st minute strike. Cooper swung in a sideline ball from the Hogan Stand side of the field and when the ball slipped through James Nallen's hands, O'Se was on hand to palm it home.

Three more Kerry scores opened up a 2-10 to 0-10 advantage by the 47th minute and when O'Cinneide knocked over a 45 with 18 minutes of normal time remaining, all six of Kerry's starting forwards had scored.

It should be one hell of a game in three weeks time.

KERRY: D Murphy; M O'Se (0-1), M McCarthy, T O'Sullivan; T O'Se, S Moynihan, A O'Mahony (0-1); D O'Se (1-0), W Kirby (0-1); L Hassett (0-1), D O'Sullivan (0-1), E Brosnan (0-2); C Cooper (1-1), D O'Cinneide (0-1 45), MF Russell (0-3).

Subs: P Galvin (0-3) for Brosnan (53), E Fitzmaurice for T O'Sullivan (53), B Sheehan for O'Cinneide (58), K Donaghy for D O'Se (61), D Quill for Russell (63).

MAYO: D Clarke; D Geraghty, D Heaney (0-1), G Ruane; P Kelly, J Nallen, P Gardiner; R McGarrity, S Fitzmaurice; M Moyles, C McDonald (0-6, 0-3f), A Dillon (0-4, 0-3f); B Moran (0-1), BJ Padden, A O'Malley (0-5).

Subs: A Kilcoyne for Moyles (19), K Higgins for Gardiner (42), J Gill for Padden (49), C Mortimer for Kilcoyne (57), A Moran (0-1) for B Moran (63).

CAPTION(S):

LETHAL: Kerry's Colm Cooper got the killer goal against Mayo in the All-Ireland quarter-final; GOLD PERFORMANCE: Mayo's Pat Kelly barges through Kerry's Darragh O''Se (left) and Kerry's Declan O''Sullivan and Mayo's Aidan Kilcoyne tussle