MAYO football has been through many ups and downs. The pride which excites its supporters continues from away back in the early years of the GAA and, possibly, before that. The county, has always been noted for a certain amount of "style".

It wasn't quite thus yesterday. Yet from start to finish it seemed clear that there was something "stylish" about the Mayo approach which was lacking in what Kerry had to provide.

"That match has restored the belief in the game of Gaelic football," said Sean O Siochin. "These two counties have given a lot to the game and they didn't let themselves down here today," he added.

Frankie Byrne, a hugely influential player for Meath in his time, was equally impressed. "The best side won. But Kerry have a lot of potential and I know that they will be back here before long. Mayo could win out now. Naturally, I believe that Meath will qualify for the final, but once Mayo have managed to get into the final they will be a very hard team to beat," he said.

The former All Ireland final referee, PJ McGrath, also from Mayo, was equally upbeat about Mayo's chances. "That was the match that we needed to win. Beating Kerry in a semi final has given the side marvellous confidence and I believe that we can now go the whole way.

"Mayo always need to have something to inspire them. I believe that beating Kerry in a semifinal is the best thing that could happen to us and I think that we need not fear anybody from now on, he said.

In the chaotic Mayo dressingroom Dermot Flanagan, a late replacement for Anthony McGarry in the Mayo full back line was assuring everyone that his quest for an All Ireland winners medal was far from over.

To some extent he has laboured under the shadow of his late father Sean Flanagan, who captained two Mayo teams to "back to back" titles in the 1950s. "I'm half a stone lighter than I was two years ago," he said, a fact that would have been difficult to dispute as he towelled down after a job well done.

"I believe that we can do it this time. John Maughan has been a huge inspiration to all of us. It doesn't matter whether it is the younger lads of the older ones like myself; he manages to put a lot more into everybody's effort and it showed out there today. We had a new confidence in ourselves and I believe that it will be present in the final no matter who we come up against," he said.

Maughan, himself, was accepting congratulations with an aplomb which was unusual for him. "I'm very happy with the result, naturally enough. We played very well but we did some silly things as well. That goal was a disaster and we will need to be sure that we concentrate on everything and not concede another score like that.

"At this stage of the game we, cannot afford to let anything slip. One point can decide a match and we must realise that you simply cannot relax at any stage."

This was a view confirmed by the Mayo team captain, Noel Connelly. Still breathless after the pummelling to which he had been subjected by his supporters as he battled his way from the pitch to the sanctuary of the dressingrooms he admitted relief. "I was never happy about the situation. After we got our goal I though we were in a strong position, but they hit back immediately.

"I believe that it was then that we showed our strength. That goal could have undermined our confidence but we came back with three points and that gave us great confidence as we went into the second half," he said.

One Mayo man who has seen Mayo's triumphs and disasters and treated those imposters just the same is Paddy Muldoon. "I believe that we can now go the whole way," he beamed as he surveyed the crowded dressingroom. "Whatever comes, one way or another, we in Mayo will always keep the faith. It was great to see two great traditional teams like Mayo and Kerry out there today, producing a high quality of football, in difficult conditions.

"That is what the game needs. We have had some great hurling and today we had a superb football match. The crowds will always come to see matches like these. There was nearly 35,000 people here today and they got great value for their money.

"I believe that Mayo can now go the whole way for the first time since 1951, and if they do we will have the biggest party of all time. Kerry are coming back. They have a very good young team and they will be back very soon but not before Mayo bring the Sam Maguire Cup to Mayo," he said.