'A step up and we did not make it'

Kerry quotes: This wasn't really fair on Kerry. Two years ago Tyrone pummelled them into submission at the very same venue before going on to win their first All-Ireland.

Kerry folk retreated home to get Jack O'Connor on the case. He gathered some of the wisest heads in the Kingdom to steer their football into the 21st century. Men like Ger O'Keeffe, Johnny Culloty and Pat Flanagan huddled together in Killarney for the last two winters plotting redemption.

The opportunity never arose and Tyrone have moved on once more. Kerry even got hold of Sam without really testing their newly-developed style against Ulster's best gladiators. Unfortunately, yesterday took some of the gloss off last year's All-Ireland.

Kerry keep to themselves during the championship but when it ends, be it in victory or defeat, they are gracious and forthcoming. Last evening Jack O'Connor and the great Ger O'Keeffe flung open the dressingroom door and welcomed us in.

There is not much to report as only Declan O'Sullivan and Eoin Brosnan remained. They had stayed out to hear Brian Dooher's moving acceptance speech. The rest of the panel had retreated upstairs to the new players' lounge.

It was uncharted territory for O'Connor as this was his first defeat in the championship as Kerry manager. "Not too many of ye here," he quipped. He kept the rest short and to the point. Eighteen men against 15 in training sessions could not adequately prepare a team for what had just hit them.

"It showed that they had played those games at such a ferocious intensity and pace," said O'Connor. "We were caught in possession a few times. We did our best to try and simulate that in training but you have to be in the match situation and they were in three or four battles this year.

"We fought to the bitter end. Even right near the end we should have kicked over a couple of points because there was four minutes left. Possibly went for goals too early. Look, no excuses lads they are an exceptional side."

O'Connor identified the 1-1 before half-time from Peter Canavan and Brian McGuigan as the killer scores. Still, the same problem remained.

"You can analyse it until the cows come home but it looked like they had been through those battles before. If we had possibly snatched a draw then we might have improved (in the replay) but it showed that we haven't been in the same heat of battle."

One genuine gripe was the additional minute of injury time referee Michael Monahan failed to add on. Unfortunately no one was going to repel the tide of Tyrone people pouring on to the pitch the instant the whistle sounded.

"I wish they had played for another minute. End of story. Ah sure, we won't get excited about that but it's a fact because I asked the linesman. We can't change that now but if there are four minutes to be played they should be played."

O'Keeffe has seen many of these days. Maybe that was why he was able to be a little more philosophical than most. "Fair play to them," he said through a wry smile.

"They deserve what they got and are true All-Ireland champions. We just have to grin and bear it down in Kerry but when you meet a better team on the day you have to be happy with second best."

The young Kerry captain O'Sullivan refused to accept the intensity of the opposition was superior to that of his own team. "I'm not so sure the intensity levels were different as there was only a kick of the ball in it at the end. We just came up short on the day."

Brosnan saw it differently. "Obviously the intensity wasn't there. If we had touched on another game against a side like them we might have been more prepared. You can watch videos and prepare yourself mentally but it's a step up and we didn't make it today."