Kerry 2-15: D O Cinneide 2-5 (goals from penalties, four points from frees), M F Russell 0-3, L Hassett 0-2, N Kennelly 0-2 (frees), D O Se 01, A MacGearailt 0-1, J Crowley 0-1.

Cork 1-13: C Corkery 1-8 (six points from frees), M Cronin 0-2, A Dorgan 02, P Clifford 0-1 (free).

Referee: M Curley (Galway). Booked: Cork - P Clifford; Kerry - J Crowley, T O Se, D O Se. Sent off: none.

There were two rattled teams after this Bank of Ireland Munster semi-final at Fitzgerald Stadium, Killarney. For Cork there was the bitter disappointment of relinquishing their provincial title despite a storming comeback in the second half and for Kerry there was the shuddering memory of having checked out of the match for half an hour and in the process nearly losing a lead which at one stage stood at 12 points.

Kerry, of course, are in a better position to make amends before next month's Munster final but Paidi O Se's nerves must have been in tatters as he watched his team's initially majestic performance disintegrate in the second half.

Cork manager Larry Tompkins railed at the refereeing decisions of Michael Curley and caused a stand-off in the second half by refusing to retreat to the dugout on the referee's orders. But Cork's problems were of their own making.

A failure to track Kerry's forwards adequately and the concession of a couple of penalties meant that they shipped a truckload of scores in the first half. This was compounded by the disappearance of their centrefield until after the break and a baffling inability to use what possession they had to feed into forwards who looked as if they might have the measure of the Kerry defence.

The big talking-point in Kerry's selection - the location of Seamus Moynihan at full back - worked out quite well with the accomplished captain bringing a sense of calm to the beleaguered last line in the second half but, as Cork's frenzied comeback gained momentum, Moynihan's presence out the field was missed as opponents consumed a huge proportion of the ball breaking around the middle.

Tompkins' decision to bring back Steven O'Brien and Colin Corkery was a lot more successful than had been anticipated. O'Brien pressurised Moynihan without cracking the facade but Corkery had a really profitable afternoon, scoring 1-8 including a goal and two points from play. The goal, four minutes into the second half, was crucial because it enabled Cork to believe that a comeback was possible.

In the aftermath Kerry paid tribute to substitutes Maurice Fitzgerald - particularly - and Denis Dwyer. Fitzgerald came in at centrefield and helped staunch the haemorrhage of possession which had been the lifeblood of Cork's comeback. Dwyer took on the Cork defence and made inroads through the ragged cover as the champions tried desperately to bridge the ever-narrowing gap on the scoreboard.

You could have got any odds on a close finish at half-time during which a fair few people took the opportunity to make an early start on the road back to Cork. John Crowley scored within 12 seconds of the start and Kerry led by varying margins from then to the end of the match. From an early stage they had their opponents on the run.

By the end of the first quarter, all the Kerry forwards had scored apart from the otherwise impressive Aodan MacGearailt. Michael Francis Russell was in fine form leading Anthony Lynch a merry dance and Liam Hassett scored two fabulous points within a minute.

The hammer blows to Cork were, however, two hotly disputed penalties. That they were disputed owed more to the passions of the afternoon rather than any miscarriage of justice, although there was a suspicion of square-ball about the lead-up to the second.

In the 24th minute, Dara O Cinneide was pulled down by Sean O hAilpin and O Cinneide executed the award with precision and aplomb, drilling the ball into the left corner of Kevin O'Dwyer's net. Just after half an hour, a high ball from Noel Kennelly dropped down on the Cork goal. Crowley was the Kerry player suspected of infringing on the square yet O'Dwyer had the ball well covered.

As the Cork goalkeeper gathered, Ronan McCarthy was seen to tumble Crowley and Curley had no hesitation about awarding the penalty. O Cinneide's conversion was a carbon copy of the first and Kerry led by 12, 29 to 0-3.

Corkery's big eventual total was all the more praiseworthy because he opened so uncertainly. Nonetheless, his three wides contributed to the remarkable statistic that by the 25th minute, he had been responsible for all five of Cork's efforts at scoring - two points and the wides.

Dara O Se was atoning for his illness-influenced display a year ago with a fine performance at centrefield where Fachtna Collins and Nicholas Murphy were having as little impact before the interval as their opponents were to have afterwards. By halftime, there were 10 points in it, 2-9 to 0-5.

Seconds into the second half MacGearailt increased Kerry's lead but a few minutes later the Cork comeback was under way. Philip Clifford, strangely starved of ball in the first half, dropped a free in on Kerry's goal and Corkery beat the defence to get a fist to it - much to the fury of goalkeeper Declan O'Keeffe.

Cork then proceeded to outscore their opponents 0-8 to 0-2 over the next 27 minutes. Much of the problem for Kerry came from panicky defending which gifted Cork six kickable frees. Mike Hassett's arrival had been expected if Kerry needed a Corkery-antidote but despite some good moments in general play, he didn't manage notably to restrain the Nemo man and at one stage conceded two converted frees off him within a minute.

O Cinneide contrived a clear opening for Crowley who just couldn't hold on to the ball.

In the 66th minute, Corkery's last score cut the margin to two but Cork's resurrection ran out of steam. Clifford missed a scoreable free and O'Brien's attempted crossfield pass from a free went straight to Kerry substitute Enda Galvin and he was fouled for a free converted by O Cinneide.

Russell and O Cinneide again added points to guarantee the relief of Kerry.