Saturday arrived festooned with sentiment and nostalgia. It ended with Kerry and Dublin having made their own niche. Next week's replay takes place in no context other than the relationship between these two teams. Kerry with the experience. Dublin with the momentum. A mere quarter-final could become the football event of the year.

Down in the dressing-room area in Semple Stadium on Saturday the late afternoon atmosphere was marked by confusion more than anything else. The was some whooping in the Dublin room, some sober words in the Kerry quarters; but mainly there were questions and shaking heads.

"The way it unfolded was unbelievable," said Tom Carr when he stepped out and found a corridor thick with people. "We looked dead in the water. I'm sure there was a lot of people saying the game was over with a quarter-of-an-hour left.

"At half-time, though, we said we would take it back minute by minute, whatever it took. We were only in that situation because of what we missed in the first quarter of an hour. We hit the woodwork once or twice and there was a little bit of jumpiness.

"In the second half we had set ourselves on getting a point every five or six minutes, and then we conceded two in the first few minutes. But really, what can you say about the way fellas played late on?"

Dublin's late comeback has been attributed to lots of things. Watching from the sidelines, it looked like an organic thing which grew from the surprise gift of Vinnie Murphy's goal and the response of the crowd finally sensing value for money. From a coaching point of view there had to be more to it.

"We were reasonably confident coming in here because of the Sligo game," said Carr. "You never know till you hit the field and a few balls go your way or not. This draw is excellent for confidence. To be able to come back at the All-Ireland champions and come back in the way we did and even go ahead at a crucial time. I'm delighted. Another team would have folded, but we've put too much into it; there was too much at stake, too much of our lives basically.

"In the first half the misses were down to confidence. If Kerry had those chances or we were All-Ireland champions they'd have gone in. It's that much easier when you have had success. Kerry have two All-Irelands under their belt, they know what they are capable of. They have been to the top, we are only getting to the top; we are not as solid in our knowledge about our ability as they are."

And any comment on the referee, whose performance brought on a fit of bench rage in Carr during the second half?

"No thought or comments on the referee. There was one outrageous decision. I'd said during the week that I was fearful about one decision going against us, but ..."

Down the corridor Pβid∅ ╙ SΘ followed suit. "Us Kerry people don't speak about referees."

Jason Sherlock, whose workrate and passing kept the Dublin forwards ticking when other parts were popping off, was quietly pleased, but his head was already turned towards next Saturday.

"Obviously delighted we're still in the championship. A lot of people thought we had our chance in the first half and that was it. It's the sign of a bit of character that you can take the hits we've got and the criticisms. We're still delighted.

"Kerry must be wondering. There's a lot of belief in this team. Nobody put their head down. We'd like to think we are good enough to go on and win."

Dessie Farrell was feeling the pulse of his team, wondering what the days ahead hold.

"It was going to be difficult. It's about a little bit of confidence really. You get a head of steam, then go eight behind again. Probably then I didn't think it was there.

"We'd said though not to give up no matter what happened, to keep plugging away. We did that and we were able to scrape the draw. There's a lot of food for thought. We can't start so badly again, we have a lot of work to do. It was reminiscent of the Meath game in many ways."

And as for that first-half miss, the culmination of an incredible series of misses?

"I couldn't believe I got the ball and got a shot. To be sure to be sure I hit it too hard probably. We missed a few chances. Goals, bad wides. Started to wonder if we were going to get a break.

"There was a time when they won every break, and they got an amazing score when somebody fisted over from the endline. You wonder then if it's going to happen at all. We're still there though. We'll take that."

Down the corridor the Kerry dressing-room opened briefly, a couple of Kerrymen spoke, everyone else hurried away. Just like a Kerry media night really.

Goalkeeper Declan O'Keeffe was the most reliable eyewitness to the collapse.

"I could do nothing about the Vinnie Murphy goal. I didn't really see it. But I'm disappointed that I didn't do better for the second. It just looped over me.

"The bottom line is that we're still there. I'm disappointed, but I'm relieved too. In the end, what we went through last summer stood to us."

And Pβid∅ ╙ SΘ, not looking any younger after a long day in the sun:

"Even when we were well ahead in the second half, I always felt that there was a kick in this Dublin team. It is disappointing to lose a big lead, but this team showed real character again, when it was needed most."

And there it was. They poured out onto traffic-snarled roads. Two teams talking about character, who has it, who needs it and only one way left to prove it.