Just like that, they are back. Cork ballyhooing in the dressingroom, Frank Murphy handing out meal tokens and talk of de double. And outside the dressingroom door Billy Morgan, face wreathed in sunshine, sweat and satisfaction.

"I have always said as individual players they are as good as what is around," he said. "Their confidence was low at county level over the past couple of years but with belief they are as good as what is around."

It was hard to single out players for what will be remembered as a classy second-half performance, but all through the singular determination of Anthony Lynch shone through.

"Anthony was absolutely superb. I think I heard someone criticising us for playing him centre back. He plays all his club football at centre half and he reminds me a little of Kevin Moran. He's a very good defender but he is very hard to stop coming forward."

Cork had been outplayed by some vintage Galway attacking moves but Morgan was far from downcast in the dressingroom at half-time.

"Well, see we were only four points down and brought it down to three then so we were well there. You could say that we gave away two goals and a couple of points. They kept on plugging and the goal was coming because we were beginning to open them up. Even after that it was a bit hairy for a while, they got two frees although a couple of those were a bit dubious, shall we say."

After passing on his best wishes in front of a resolutely respectful Cork dressingroom, Galway manager Peter Ford stopped to consider what might have been. There was a period in the first half when it seemed the Mayo man had managed to tap into the irresistible brand of football that yielded Galway two All-Irelands in the last decade.

"I am just very disappointed because I felt that if we could get over today it would have been a big step for us," he grimaced. "Galway haven't won a championship game in Croke Park since the All-Ireland of 2001. And I thought that if we had got over today we could have gone a long way. But we have to live with it."

It was clear shortly after the restart that Galway were not going to be able to freewheel as easily as they did in the first half hour.

"We were under pressure in a lot of places, they were running at us from everywhere and they won a lot of ball. It is always difficult to play when you don't have the ball. And they took their scores, put themselves in a winning position and defended it and there was nothing much we could do.

"We had a good first half, Cork had an excellent second half, they deserve their win and I hope they go all the way."

Pádraic Joyce has known the best of days in Croke Park and, for a while, it seemed as if this might be one of them.

"They got four (scores) in a row, that killed us. They went from three down to three up. Ah, it was disappointing. But so be it. Sure we are getting used to it," he said ruefully. "In fairness, Cork are a good side. They are okay lads, there wasn't a dirty stroke in the game and they tackle hard.

"Billy Morgan has them in great shape. In the second half, we couldn't get our hands on the ball at all around the middle of the pitch and that hurt us."

Galway's second-half total was a surprise to him.

"Was it. Only four? That says it all then."