Kerry-3-17 - D O Cinneide 1-2, two frees; J Crowley 1-2; M Fitzgerald 0-4, two frees; N Kennelly 1-1; MF Russell 0-3; D O Dwyer 0-2; A Mac Gearailt, D Quill, E Brosnan 0-1 each

Tipperary-1-4 - S Maher 1-0; D O'Brien 0-2; K Mulryan, P Lambert 0-1 each.

Referee: M Monaghan (Kildare).

Attendance: 5,621

There were warnings of doom and damnation right through the winter, with Tipp shedding key players through injury or hurling but nobody came to Clonmel yesterday quite expecting to see an entire team wither before the blast furnace that is Kerry when they are in the mood.

Tipp were beaten, pulped, destroyed, wiped out. Hard to know if it's a consolation that they can train again this week.

Three years ago in Tralee they were heroic in the face of injustice, hanging in there like rusty old fish hooks and losing by just three points in the end. That sort of moral victory was never within their grasp yesterday. As Declan Brown walked gingerly down the sideline in his day clothes, ahead of his meeting with Gerry McEntee and Pat O'Neill today with a view to an operation, hope he might play 10 or 15 minutes evaporated. So did Tipp's chances.

Earlier, we had watched the Tipp juniors, with Brendan Cummins at centre forward, score a fine win over Kerry. It was hard not to feel that the modern plague of the game, overuse of players, was costing Tipp dear. As for Kerry, the All-Ireland champions are recovering their shape after a hazy springtime during which the after-effects of holidaying and the Maurice Fitz rumour mill took their toll. Even allowing for Tipp's maladies they will be a hard team to beat this summer. Yesterday was a chance to check if all parts were in working order. Even on a greasy pitch away from home the Kerry quality control people saw little to worry them.

The stern intent of the Kerrymen was evident early on when having taken the lead through Denis O'Dwyer, they saw Tipp have the impudence to equalise through Kevin Mulryan. Majestically, Kerry swept down-field, stringing passes together like the Harlem Globetrotters. The move finished with O Cinneide, O'Dwyer and Crowley combining, the last named slipping the ball home with the finality of an amen.

After that it was never really in doubt and if the crowd had any sense they would have slipped home and gotten into something dry. Kerry scored the next six points as their forwards mesmerised. The bald look was taken off the scoreboard when Tipp managed two scores in the final five minutes of the half, Peter Lambert getting a point and Sean Maher ramming home a nice goal.

The opening of the second half made us sit up in our seats. Damien O'Brien, Tipp's quicksilver corner forward (pity we won't see him in harness with Brown this year) shook his marker free for a point. Discussion as to whether Tipp had a surprise in them lasted for just a minute. Donal Daly won a fine ball and ran with it before delivering a better one to Dara O Cinneide, who scored Kerry's second goal.

It would have been a mercy to stop it then. Tipp were winded and slightly disoriented. Kerry went to work on them. Maurice Fitzgerald, elegant as ever, had the next three points as Kerry began a run of seven without reply.

As a demonstration of power it was awesome. Kerry didn't use any of the top gears; had the luxury of introducing Noel Kennelly for a couple of scores; brought Declan Quill, about whom they are excited to our attention, and generally played tippy tap as they pleased for the last half hour. All the old parts were working fine.

Midfield did the work without losing concentration; Moynihan, although scarcely troubled at full back, still managed to be monumental, one gallop down-field making us long for his restoration to the half-back line. Tomas O Se was superb and as for the forwards, if the GAA ever launches a transfer market Kerry have them to spare.

After O'Brien's opening flourish, Tipp only scored once more in the last 30 minutes (O'Brien again) and the longer the game progressed the weaker they looked. Indeed Kerry ran in three points in injury time when Tipp could barely raise their heads off the canvas.

Afterwards, Paidi O Se explained away the victory in typical Kerry style. Tipp had taken a decision some time ago to go with their young players; that was good and brave of them and they would be back. He reminisced about other days, when Tipp football teams had put the wind up Kerry but the fact remains it's 73 years and counting since they won one.

"But," said Paidi, "we'll have to be careful against Limerick," trying compulsively to play things down.

The youngsters in whom Limerick have put their faith may have more to offer but on this evidence it's going to take more than kids to knock Kerry off their pedestal.