All-Ireland SFC Quarter-final/Kerry v Armagh: I need to be magnanimous and hold my hand up: I got it wrong. Kerry defied my pre-match prediction by showing an immense pride in themselves and the green and gold jersey.
In contrast, the present Armagh team look to be nearing the end of the line. Four key players down through the years have been Kieran McGeeney, Paul McGrane, John McEntee and Oisín McConville. They all faded in the second half.
Darragh Ó Sé wiped out McGrane in the aerial duels. McGeeney did a decent job in front of his full-back line in the first half only to disappear after the break. He looked desperately off the pace. McEntee was replaced. McConville was poor.
At half-time it looked like Armagh would go on and win. Footballing obituaries were being penned for Tomás Ó Sé, Mike McCarthy, Séamus Moynihan and Mike Frank Russell. It was a now-or-never scenario for Kerry and they finally answered the Ulster question by producing all that is good about Kerry football. What followed was a unity of purpose that proved Kerry are capable of competing with the best. Again, the pride factor came into play.
The three Ó Sé brothers deserve enormous credit for the part they played. Darragh produced his greatest game for years and absolutely lorded the midfield battle, which included crushing the influence of Armagh's captain McGrane.
Steven McDonnell looked set for a really big game but Darragh ensured the supply lines were closed off to the most deadly assassin in the country.
The Kerry management must be commended for having the tactical intelligence to move Marc Ó Sé to half back, with Aidan O'Mahony going back inside. Marc is so natural on the ball and he scored a beautiful point, when fooling Francie Bellew with the neatest of solos.
Tomás always revels in the pressure-cooker environment of Croke Park. He looked like the Tomás of old - constantly influencing affairs.
Kieran Donaghy has arrived. The battle with Bellew became less daunting when Francie picked up a silly yellow card before half-time. It meant the full forward couldn't be emptied in 50-50 collisions. Donaghy has great hands and is extremely mobile for a big man. He also varies his game intelligently and showed tremendous confidence for a first-timer in Croke Park. Crucially, though, he relieves Colm Cooper of ball-winning responsibilities.
Donaghy's presence means Kerry can play more direct football, and drop the short hand-passing and needless soloing that has hindered their progress against blanket defending. Also, his goal was the game's defining moment.
It's also good to see a three-man full-forward line, while the pace of Seán O'Sullivan was another revelation.
Jack O'Connor showed great faith in the Kerry bench by sending four quality attackers into the fray late on. The impact was devastating as Eamon Fitzmaurice, Declan O'Sullivan, Bryan Sheehan and Darren O'Sullivan all scored. Darren O'Sullivan brings the enthusiasm of youth into Kerry's game and his ability to cause havoc on the ball makes him the ideal impact substitute.
What we learned here is Armagh's experienced, older heads were unable to sustain the intensity. Also, their young half-back line made some bad distribution decisions. In contrast, Séamus Moynihan provided Kerry with a defensive stability by holding the middle throughout. His only raid forward was to supply the killer pass for Brosnan's goal.
The only negative from a Kerry point of view was Paul Galvin's dismissal. He should concentrate more on his game rather than becoming embroiled in peripheral issues that bear no relevance to the scoreboard. Galvin is a quality player with a tireless engine but gets drawn into niggly situations too easily.
Cork won't relish the prospect of trying to beat Kerry for a third time. The loss of Graham Canty and the arrival of Donaghy tilt the balance in Kerry's favour.
One aspect of Cork's approach this year that was highly evident on Saturday was their spirit. Still, if Donegal didn't lack composure in front of goal an Ulster and Munster semi-final or at the very least a replay would have been their reward.
Cork survived a massive scare thanks to Ger Spillane's two crucial points and the dominance of Nicholas Murphy in midfield. They needed these two men to step up because Karl Lacey did a fine job curtailing the influence of James Masters. Billy Morgan must address the overreliance on their star forward if Kerry are to be beaten again.
