Colm Cooper (centre) hit 1-5 of Kerry's total

Alan Dillon scored an early goal for Mayo but Kerry then took control and the superb Colm Cooper's 25th minute goal put Kerry 1-10 to 1-3 ahead.

After going in 1-12 to 1-4 ahead at the interval, the Kingdom continued to dominate in the second period.

Sub Michael Conroy scored a late Mayo goal but it was scant consolation.

Kerry dominated in all sectors of the field.

Manager Jack O'Connor clearly identified the lack of height in the Mayo full-back line as an area to exploit.

The Kerry half-backs and midfielders used the long ball on numerous occasions and the likes of Cooper and the impressive Johnny Crowley were able to win the aerial challenges with amazing ease.

Johnny Crowley tries to break clear of Mayo's Pat Kelly

Kerry totally ruled midfield with Willie Kirby able to pick off three points during the match in addition to hoovering up a huge amount of possession along with partner Eoin Brosnan.

Mayo boss John Maughan introduced David Brady 10 minutes before half-time but the pattern of the contest was already set by that stage.

The only stage of the game when Mayo were in the contest was in the opening 15 minutes although Kerry were already ruling in the possession stakes.

Alan Dillon scored a fifth minute goal for Mayo by rounding Diarmuid Murphy and stroking the ball to the net after possession had rebounded to him kindly.

However, Kerry were unruffled and they were level within three minutes after O Cinneide had stroked over the second of his eight points.

The Mayo defence was already showing alarming signs of deficiency by that stage with captain Gary Ruane, in particular, under real pressure.

The side has taken a lot of stick but I felt this performance was in this team Kerry boss Jack O'Connor

Kieran McDonald swung over the second of his two superb first half points in the 18th minute but it was the only bright spot for Mayo during a dire second quarter.

The game was effectively over in the 25th minute when the elusive Cooper burrowed his way through the Mayo defence to slip the ball past Peter Burke.

It put Kerry 1-10 to 1-3 ahead and Mayo's body language betrayed a team that already knew the game was up.

Mayo needed a fast start to the second half but it was Cooper who notched the first score after the restart.

A rare Mayo attack instigated by substitute Conroy then presented Conor Mortimer with a goal chance in the 40th minute but his dismal day was summed up by his blasting the ball over the bar from close range when it seemed easier to notch a goal.

Life will go on but I love football too much to walk away from this job Mayo boss John Maughan

With 20 minutes of the game left, sections of the Mayo support were already leaving Croke Park.

Inevitably, the level of Kerry's performance dropped in the closing stages with Cooper even managing to hit a few sloppy wides.

But Mayo were making no inroads even though Kerry were in lap-of-honour mode.

Jack O'Connor was able to throw on several subsitututes, including Seamus Moynihan and Mike Frank Russell, in the closing quarter as the clock seemed to take an age to wind down.

Substitute Conroy snatched Mayo's goal a minute from time - six minutes after he had been denied a three-pointer by a fine Diarmuid Murphy save.

Russell, though, had the final say in injury-time with another towering Kingdom point.