I THINK it's fair to say that after yesterday's victory Kerry football is back they are challenging realistically again for national title. It's been a long time. For the last 10 years they have struggled but this is the best team I have seen in that period.

Without getting carried away, we could be seeing a new era. It's a league title, but for the players, mentors and supporters it's a terrific boost, and just what the team needed.

Conditions meant that we weren't going to have a stylish game but it was clear from the throw in that both teams were going to give it everything. The fervour and passion was obvious and full credit to both sides for their commitment. There was nothing spared.

Kerry were the more accomplished side technically, so they coped better with the wet ball. Their handling was better, especially among the forwards, and the slicker passing moves came from them as a unit. Their finishing was better too. The goals obviously were critical because Cork, with the wind behind them, were doing most of the attacking in that first half. And yet they went in two points behind at the break.

Liam Hassett had a very good game and took his goal clinically. The pass from Maurice Fitzgerald was perfect. Denis O'Dwyer also looked strong, but I thought Brian Clarke had an outstanding game and, perhaps because of his basketball background, his hands were magnetic. He proved to be an excellent target man.

The key factor in the Kerry attack was that while Fitzgerald was closely marked by Mark O'Connor and Dara O Cinneide had an off day, the others compensated. That is an important development in the maturing of this Kerry team: the burden of expectation on their star players should not be as great from here on. The Kerry forwards also worked tremendously hard at defending and prevented Cork from building up passing movements.

The conditions meant it wasn't a day for carrying the ball, but Cork were guilty of an over reliance on short passing. I am surprised that they didn't try to land more high ball in on Steven O'Brien at full forward. They got their goal from that and Barry O'Shea, not being as big as O'Brien, might have struggled under that sort of ball. The Cork attack, bar Aidan Dorgan, never really got the space they needed to operate. Martin Cronin worked tirelessly and got some openings but was let down by his shooting.

The wind was very strong and it almost looked like seven a side football the way Cork hand passed the ball upfield. I felt there was no way they looked like kicking five or six points from play into the wind. It seemed their only chance was to manufacture a goal but every Kerry player from corner forward back was defending when they lost possession. They had the legs to track back and get bodies behind the ball at all times.

Cork did not have one shot in anger for a goal, bar the one they scored.

Kerry have lacked steel up the middle in recent years, but I think we saw steel in the middle of their defence yesterday. Barry O'Shea and Liam Flaherty were strong, solid and disciplined. Flaherty held the middle; there was no big gap for Cork forwards to come through. O'Shea also stood, his ground and also held the space in front of goal very well. He was always close to his man. Eamon Breen put in a big effort on the wing. He's a strong man and typifies the Kerry passion in his play.

The main worry for Kerry is midfield. I was highly impressed with the work rate of Cork's Damien O'Neill and Ciaran O'Sullivan. There was a period in the second half where they fully dominated for about 10 minutes. But Dara O Se and William Kirby concentrated well on their defensive duties, which I thought was a good tactic. It meant they left a lot of open space up front and could deliver the long ball into it. What I like about this Kerry team, generally is that they are all worrying for each other. The support play is brilliant. It's easy to be wise in hindsight but I was surprised when Colm Corkery was taken off. You have to question taking off your main free taker at an time. I was surprised to see Brian Corcoran moved from the 40, where I thought he was playing well, into the corner, and then to actually see him being taken off.

I thought he had put in a Trojan effort. He was very strong on the ball and was able to match Flaherty in the physical exchanges, but once he left Flaherty dominated totally in the middle.

I'd say what Larry Tompkins was locking for was probably a bit more pace, which is why he brought on Joe Kavanagh and Padraig Griffin, but what it said to all of us was that the Kerry back line was really on top at this stage.

Winning a national title provides Paidi O Se - with concrete evidence that his team is definitely on the right track. When you win you are inclined to leave well enough alone but I feel Paidi will still be trying to strengthen various positions. But its a winning team right now and if they stay healthy its difficult to see too many changes.

Larry Tompkins will have learned a terrific amount about his team and Cork possibly could come out of this defeat quite well. It will harden their attitude. They desperately want to be winners as well and when you look at their list of subs yesterday, with the likes of Liam Honohan, Mark O'Sullivan, John O'Driscoll, Joe Kavanagh and Brian Murphy, it is obvious that Larry has got a lot of depth to work with - they are all quality players.

In many ways Tompkins is in a great position because they will see possible openings on the first 15, training will be more competitive and that can only augur well for Cork.