IT mightn't have swept in a fresh wave of domination but Kerry's victory in yesterday's Bank of Ireland Munster football final sparked great emotional outpourings and marked a divergent trend, if not yet a new era in the province.

Billy O'Shea became the first Kerryman to lift the trophy in five years and only the second in the last 11. It was the county's first win over Cork in a Munster final for 10 years and the first championship success over them since 1992.

Persistent rain in Cork had badly affected conditions and both ball and surface were slippery. With neither side consequently able to build up much momentum, the match toing and froing on a tight rein. Kerry's winning margin of three was as wide a gap as appeared on the scoreboard all afternoon.

In the end, it was Kerry's livelier instincts and stronger stomach for the fray that prevailed.

When the chances arose in the closing 10 minutes, Maurice Fitzgerald showed why he had been entrusted with the resumption of free taking duties. Two high pressure kicks, from 55 and 45 metres respectively, were awarded - contentiously in the view of Cork, and they had a case - and Fitzgerald demonstrated flawless nerve and technique.

The taking of these chances wasn't the only evidence of the winners' superior nerve. With plenty of possession in the chaotically loose closing stages, Cork's forwards showed little inclination to take on the points. At one particularly graphic stage - in the 62nd minute with their scores level - they had a prolonged pass the parcel session with the ball, only for Paul McGrath to kick the ball haplessly wide.

They launched themselves into a frenzied series of assaults in the four minutes of injury time added on by referee Kevin Walsh, but a 3 metre free was deflected and the ensuing 45 somehow cleared. Although there was a modicum of excitement about this frantic conclusion, Kerry deserved to hang on and you sensed the fates were in agreement.

This victory will lift considerably the spirits of this fairly young Kerry side, but it also leaves Paidi O Se and Seamus Mac Gearailt a number of matters to ponder before next month's semifinal against Mayo.

Among these is the injury to centre back Sean Burke, who was afterwards believed to have sustained a broken jaw.

Overall - and maybe because of the conditions - this was a less exuberant display than might have been expected from a winning Kerry side. For much of the match, the slippery ball was nervously mishandled and given away, but in the end, when the hard questions were asked, they came through with credit.

It was another disappointing performance from this Cork side which has never really built on the initial promise demonstrated three years ago. For the fourth year, they went out of the championship at the end of a match they had the opportunities to win. No decision has been made but it is likely that Billy Morgan will think about calling it a day after 11 years in charge of the county's footballers.

What posed most difficulty for Cork was the fitfulness of the contributions. On the positive side, Mark O'Connor had a fine match - not totally invalidated by Dara O Cinneide's three points - and in the 28th minute performed a great catch, followed by a relieving solo which yielded a kickable free. He received an ovation as he made his way back to the corner.

Steven O'Brien and Maurice Fitzgerald cancelled each other out until Fitzgerald was moved, but Cork traditionally require more from O'Brien in these matches and he didn't quite emulate the high standards he had set in the last couple of years. With the attack so rudderless, maybe the original idea of playing him at centre forward would have been worth persevering with.

Beside O'Brien, Ciaran O'Sullivan, who delivered the match winning contribution against Clare in the semi final, was the man in form, but he was well contained by Kerry's captain Billy O'Shea who also lifted two points his illustrious marker.

The failure Danny Culotty to make the starting line up brought Niall Cahalane into midfield. Cahalane's problem was that whereas he hasn't Culotty's physical presence, neither had he the mobility of the Kerry pair Seamus Moynihan and Dara O Se.

It was, however, in attack that Cork disappointed most. Corkery played well on Mike Hassett and won a reasonable amount of ball but crucially, little came of it. In addition, Corkery's dead ball kicking was unusually and disastrously off key. In the first half, he missed five frees within his usual range.

Evenly poised at the interval with only a splendidly taken joint by O Cinneide separating the teams, 0-7 to 0-6, the match's watershed was in the 40th minute. In the incident leading to Kavanagh's point, Sean Burke was injured and had to be stretchered off.

The changes made by Kerry and the manner in which the team responded helped define the afternoon. Moynihan went to centre back with Fitzgerald dropping to midfield and John Crowley coming in at centre forward. Crowley played well but moved to the wing to allow Liam Hassett onto the 40 where he put in a great display.