Just a week ago it looked like the beginning of the end for Kerry's season; yesterday, though, looked like a new beginning. With this 23-point victory their second coming was both ignited and set blazing all in the one game.
It has to be said immediately that Wicklow just weren't up for much, instead dogged by inability and seeming lack of interest. Much of their hope rested on the element of surprise and the thoughts of catching Kerry with heads still low after their Munster championship exit last Sunday. Yet Kerry's emotions were rock solid and all in sync.
In fact all the doubts that hung over Kerry after their flat performance against Cork, doubts that were deepened after the eight team changes from last week, were never once revealed.
What was revealed instead was a team that may yet make some noise in the course of the championship.
Take Eoin Brosnan, dropped before the replay with Cork. Starting again at centre forward, his influence on the game spread like wildfire and he ended up with two goals and two points. Mike Frank Russell was back to his most lethal and the touch that deserted him in recent weeks was quickly revived.
Dara Ó Cinnéide, too, was his old reliable best and the midfield duo of Darragh Ó Sé and a revitalised Donal Daly was faultless. If there was a great revelation then it would have to be Colm Cooper, the player we'd all been told to watch and were still watching at the end.
Yesterday Cooper showed what the talk was all about. At times the teenager was playing with the Wicklow defence like an old veteran and setting up scores almost at will. When he took a point himself in the second half even his team-mates had to applaud.
As a contest, all was done and dusted by half-time. Though Wicklow actually enjoyed a brief advantage through a Tommy Gill free (and were playing with the breeze too) the opening half hour was exclusively about Kerry.
But if there were to be a quick statement of Kerry's intentions then who better to make it than one of the Ó Sé clan. So when Tomás Ó Sé took off on his own from half-way after just six minutes and carried with pure instinct, it was as good as the defining moment.
He powered the ball low and straight into the net and Kerry were breathing fire again.
The few Kerry supporters that had travelled up to Portlaoise, and they were very few, sensed a renaissance and they weren't disappointed.
Seán O'Sullivan was given his chance in the latest shake-up and he wasn't about to waste it, adding their first point from play shortly afterwards.
Russell's first shot was also sent clean through the posts and the sluggishness that had marked their attack in recent games was nowhere to be seen.
Again Wicklow's defence was as tame and as predictable as Kerry could have hoped, yet the creativity and fluidity of the Kerry attack was still the greater influence on the scoreboard.
Daly's return to midfield (his first start since the loss to Meath last year) seemed to instantly improve their dominance in the sector and it was he too that set up Brosnan's first goal.
With surgeon's accuracy Brosnan was slicing the centre of the Wicklow defence and once freed by Daly on 13 minutes he charged unhindered to bury the ball in the net.
The persistence of the Kerry attack was reflected in their third goal.
Brosnan had a free run on goal once more but he finished with a disappointing wide. So from the kick-out Kerry regained possession and in an almost instant replay Brosnan was freed once more, this time sending the ball into the net.
All Wicklow could do was battle on because they weren't creating any true goal-scoring chances. Gill chipped over a couple more frees before the break and, after a rare win for Anthony Nolan over Séamus Moynihan, had managed to score from play too.
Just when it seemed Wicklow were enjoying a little more possession, Cooper slipped a quick free to Russell and he too sent the ball into the net.
Kerry were up 4-4 to 0-5, and would have the wind in their backs in the second half. In other words, game over.
Garry Dolan was brought into the Wicklow attack (at the questionable cost of Nolan) but to no effect and Kerry would see out the game with an unending avalanche of scores. With Moynihan again an old ringmaster at full back, there was no threat at the other end either.
Séamus Scanlon and Ian Twiss took advantage of their appearances in the second half with well-taken points, but it was Liam Hassett who claimed the fifth goal, getting a hand on Ó Cinnéide's free and giving Robert Hollingsworth no chance.
How many teams are there are there now with so many options among the forwards?
HOW THEY LINED OUT
KERRY: 1 D O'Keeffe; 2 M Ó Sé, 3 S Moynihan, 4 M McCarthy; 5 T Ó Sé, 6 E Fitzmaurice, 7 J Sheehan; 8 D Ó Sé, 9 D Daly; 10 S O'Sullivan, 11 E Brosnan, 12 N Kennelly; 13 MF Russell, 14 D Ó Cinnéide, 15 C Cooper. Subs: J Crowley for Russell (half-time); L Hassett for Kennelly (46 mins); S Scanlon for D Ó Sé (49), I Twiss for Cooper (53); B O'Shea for Moynihan (58),
Booked: Ó Cinnéide (23 mins), E Fitzmaurice (70).
WICKLOW: 1 R Hollingsworth; 2 B Daly, 3 G Jameson, 4 T Burke; 5 B Ó hAnnaidh, 6 C Toomey, B O'Donovan; 8 S O'Neill, 9 F Daly; 10 B Mernagh, 11 T Doyle,12 P Dalton; 13 T Gill, 14 A Nolan, 15 J Behan.
Subs: A Foley for B Daly (25 mins); G Doran for Nolan (half-time); S Cush for Toomey (42, inj).
Booked: B Mernagh (35), S O'Neill (70).
