THEY DON'T build lightweight, models in Finuge. Eamon Breen, spent the afternoon buffeting and battering the Cork midfield, breaking down every passing movement before it had time to become intricate.

"I'm a bit of a mullocker myself," he laughed, as he slumped against the cool dressing room wall. "Suited me. I'll have a week in the Anglers, Rest now."

Breen hadn't played football for Kerry since a challenge game against Cavan in Kingscourt three months ago. He was disappointed for Morgan O Se, whom he supplanted in the team yesterday, but quietly pleased with his own afternoon.

"My own performance was OK, I suppose. I felt sorry for Morgan who has played in the all the games to get us here, but he'll be back. It was easier than we thought it would be all right. In the first half we won it, we got the goals and goals win games I suppose. We were two points ahead at half time and it was a matter of keeping our shape in the second half and getting the ball into the forwards, which we did. They got the scores."

Conditions had altered the shape of the match. On a weekend which was expected to break fine, the wind, had cracked its cheeks and the rain had fallen by the bucketful.

"The wind was very strong, kicking the ball against it, sometimes it was travelling back. The wind doesn't win games though, as Paidi said at half time. He told us to keep our shape and just get the ball in. A few of our half backs would be inclined to attack but we hung off today and kept the shape. The surface was a bit slippy here and there."

As for the future, with summer beckoning and the bookies shortening their odds on Kerry winning a much yearned for All Ireland Breen wasn't inclined to play too much down.

We haven't done a whole pile of training yet. We'll take a week or so off. Some of the lads have had a lot of football with under age and Sigerson and that, but they are going well. Look at Dennis Dwyer today. Nobody is burned out yet. We'll be looking forward to going back training."

Liam Flaherty, one of the older hands on the side at 27 years of age echoed Breen's thoughts on training and stressed the importance to Kerry's morale of another win over Cork.

"We're looking forward to going back training again. We've beaten Cork now in the McGrath Cup, the championship and twice in the league. We're every bit as good if not better. We have to push that on now come the summer. The championship is still the one.

Even after a famine, league titles still don't make Kerrymen lose their balance. Dara O Cinneide, who had a quiet day in the company of his old foe from under age days from Sexton, was more pleased then most that his negligible contribution hadn't cost Kerry dearly.

"My own performance, I'd rather forget it, but I'm absolutely over the moon with the win. You can see from the atmosphere in here and from the crowd outside that it means a lot for us to have a cup back in the cabinet. Maybe in the old days they mightn't have thought a lot of that sort of stuff, but we're happy enough."

A mark of the new Kerry is the aggressive confidence with which the players go about their business. O Cinneide had no time for talk of monkeys being cast on backs or psychological breakthroughs.

"If you look around the team they are young, they are used to winning minors and under 21 titles. This is not a psychological thing. It's nice to have won at senior level but it was never a psychological thing for us. It was only a matter of time. It's nice to deliver, but we always believe we can do it."

Paidi O Se was grinning widely. High good spirits.

"I was really pleased with how we played. It was something we did against Cavan last year in the under 21 game, when we took them on at the short passing game but didn't change our style.

"We counter attacked their style laying into them when they were coming out of their own defence but we kept kicking the ball ourselves, kept playing our way.

The first half glut of goalscoring had surprised Paidi, but even in the hectic aftermath he was inclined to play down Kerry's ability to turn cold blooded assassin.

"It was good opportunism from Kerry's point of view but it was slack marking at the back by Cork. It was a very similar goal that they scored against us. A drop in concentration allowed them in. We allowed a two to one situation. That's what happened with the goals really."

Kerry managers walk a tightrope, pitching their comments in such a way as to register due respect for the past, but a willingness to move forward. While expressing sufficient confidence for the future however, they must be careful to avoid hubris or leaving hostages to fortune.

"We are certainly going the right direction at the moment. I know there is a good team around the place. It may not be this year but players are playing to a particular pattern and we are improving."

Kerry looked to be in some trouble a little while ago, but since the new year the form of the younger players has hinted at a surprising leap in maturity. Paidi is confident that everything has worked to the good.

"Something happened before Christmas. A couple of things went against us, we played badly against Meath and we got a few players suspended for playing in New York and Puc (Laune Rangers) were still involved in the club championship and they had players, including Mike Hassett. So, with it all, we had to bring in young players and let them stand up and be counted. They stood up, William Kirby in particular. Morgan O Se. Genie Farrell. Those three in particular baled us out through a tough situation in the winter."

The good side is the way the young players have come through. Was there a bad side out of yesterday?

"We had a situation where the kickouts from their keeper were dropping short of midfield and the kickouts from our lad were dropping over the midfield, so the midfield was getting bypassed a lot of the time and the half back line and half backs were involved in the general play Cork got an amount of half in the middle today. We'll have to look at that."

Larry Tompkins couldn't say the same thing with such certainty. You take what you can out of defeat.

"Lessons? Nobody can give the lads experience. They will have learned more today than from anything that I would have talked to them about. It was a great opportunity for them to be playing in a final. Hopefully we can mature. No point in dropping the head because we, lost a league final."

And the difference between Kerry and Cork? Short answer.

"The ball hitting the net three times. You can talk till the cows come home, but that was it."

He pauses. He wants to leave it at that but maybe he will actually talk till the cows come home.

"Look at the first one. The ball is played in. It seems to be going wide. He drew on the ball. If he meant it one of the premiership clubs will be after him next week. I can't say bow did it happen. I thought it was just one of those fortunate goals."

And what was learned about Kerry. Larry flicks to sarcasm mode: "They're still wearing green and gold. They must be certainties for the Munster championship and maybe the All Ireland."

Then he breaks into a grin. Larry Tompkins being Larry Tompkins, if he meant a word of it he'd quit tomorrow.