It was later coming than it should have been but there was double relief for All-Ireland champions Kerry.

Not alone did they safely negotiate the Bank of Ireland Munster football semi-final against Cork at Fitzgerald Stadium Killarney yesterday but they also did enough to suggest that their championship challenge will be stronger than last year's.

At the start of the second half, there was the distraction of a crowd overflow onto the pitch down from the new terracing.

According to county board officials, it resulted from people rushing back from the toilets after half time. It was the second successive occasion that this fixture featured such scenes. Three years ago, at the other end, crowds were admitted onto the sideline to prevent crowding.

On the pitch, Kerry's forwards were more reliable when it came to taking scores and that was ultimately the difference. They finished the match strongly outscoring Cork by five points to two in the last 10 minutes. Furthermore they shot only four wides compared with double that number by Cork.

Behind these basic statistics were superior tactics which saw Kerry move the ball quickly into their forwards and maximise their scoring opportunities. Cork, however, despite evidence that early ball would suit their full-forward line persisted in slow and fussy approach work.

At times the standard of play was sluggish, and the atmosphere in the first half was subdued despite a capacity crowd.

There was plenty of commitment and intervals of high-speed football but for a long time, defences were having the best of the argument.

By the end, this had changed as Kerry's full-forward line finished with all but two points of the team's total - 1-10 from play. Chief amongst the contributors was John Crowley, a peripheral figure last year but looking likely to nail down the full forward position for a while after scoring 0-5 from play in the second half and giving Brian Corcoran a frustrating afternoon.

On his right, Michael F Russell kicked four points, also from play, including three in the first half when his contribution kept Kerry in touch after Cork had established a lead.

It is all the more to Kerry's satisfaction they survived Maurice Fitzgerald's quiet match by his standards.

His total of 1-4, 1-1 from play, is compatible with a quiet match by his standards, but Mark O'Connor marked him tightly although Fitzgerald looked very ring-rusty after a long absence from competition.

He might have had a goal earlier when put straight through but Michael Maguire blocked the attempt to knock the ball past him.

Dara O Cinneide processed a good bit of ball in his new position on the 40 before retiring injured near the end after sustaining a heavy knock.

It was an encouraging performance and if he develops in the centre-forward role, Kerry have capacity for improvement: Fitzgerald has still to attain full fitness and Pa Laide in a similar position from a back injury.

Behind the attack at centrefield, Dara O Se played well in eliminating the threat of Damien O'Neill who was replaced early in the second half. According to Cork's management, they gambled a little on the Bantryman's fitness but whatever the problem was, O Se won the confrontation.

Beside him Donal Daly had a good match in place of the injured William Kirby and kept motoring throughout, particularly when O Se began to fade towards the end.

It was the winners' half-back line that exercised greatest control. Whether making life too hot for Cork's half forwards or moving the ball quickly into attack, Kerry's first line of defence was in commanding form.

Seamus Moynihan moved around in a reshuffle but Eamonn Fitzmaurice played soundly when coming on for the second half. On the left wing Eamonn Breen belied his recent injury and lack of training with a wide-ranging display.

In the middle Liam Flaherty had one of his best performances, comfortably handling the returned Larry Tompkins and committing only one foul in the process. However, Joe Kavanagh caused him more trouble after moving to the 40.

The Tompkins gambit didn't really work. By reviving his intercounty playing career three years after his last championship outing, Cork's manager was taking a clear risk.

In the event, the impact was minimal. Tompkins - who started at full forward but switched back to the 40 almost immediately - wasn't noticeably worse than the other forwards but the sense of organisation and coherence that it was hoped he would bring to the attack never materialised. Apart from one occasion when he slotted over a point in the first half, Tompkins was unable to find the pace or strength to go past his man or turn him to create space.

If Tompkins's counterpart Paidi O Se has one area of concern, it must be the full backs. Cork's fullforward line represented the main threat and accounted for half the team's scores. Debutant right corner forward Alan O'Regan was a constant menace and his return of 1-1 from play was well-earned.

At half-time the match was anyone's, (0-6 each). Shortly after the restart, Joe Kavanagh missed an excellent scoring opportunity from a free. It was nine minutes before the scoreline changed: Crowley delivered a quick-fire brace of points and Kerry looked to be on their way.

This was a perception which foundered on some near-misses and Cork's dogged response. In the 56th minute, Fitzgerald misdirected a kick to Corcoran and the ball moved quickly to O'Regan who rounded Stephen Stack and managed to place the ball between a couple of defenders on the line for a goal which gave Cork a two-point lead, 1-8 to 0-9.

Unfortunately for them, Kerry responded within two minutes. Flaherty took possession and launched a long ball behind the defence into Fitzgerald who slipped the ball into the net.

Although Kavanagh equalised, Kerry finished much the stronger and face Tipperary in the Munster final in Thurles in a month's time.