Kieran Donaghy and Tommy Walsh did enough to tilt the balance against brave Monaghan, writes John O'Keefe

IT WAS far from a perfect performance but there was an appreciable improvement in terms of quality in the manner in which Kerry negotiated a difficult game against Monaghan at Croke Park yesterday from their abject display against Cork in the Munster final.

There were snatches of the fluency that is normally expected from Kerry teams and they'll be appreciative of a genuinely tough encounter. They displayed a greater hunger, stepped up physically from the levels of the last day and worked some decent scores.

Pat O'Shea is well aware that there is still plenty to work on, notably midfield, an area Monaghan probably edged over the 70 minutes. What will please him is the new dimension Tommy Walsh added to Kerry's options, making a hugely successful impact in tandem with Kieran Donaghy.

One aspect of Walsh's performance that appealed to me was the fact that he didn't hide when things didn't go right. On three occasions in the first half he might question the option he chose as he had shots blocked down but it didn't inhibit him.

The 20-year-old continued to show for the ball, was prolific in the air and displayed good vision to find better-placed colleagues. He also tagged on a couple of points.

Kieran Donaghy demonstrated what an exceptional target man he is and he is virtually unstoppable when the ball is played into him diagonally. The presence of Walsh and Donaghy in the full-forward line meant Kerry could kick 40- and 50-yard balls, as they were winning ball close to the Monaghan goal.

It allowed Colm Cooper and to a lesser extent Bryan Sheehan to play off them, which they did successfully. Cooper may have started slowly, missing a couple of chances and fluffing his penalty attempt, but when it mattered in the second half, he oozed class, both in taking scores and his distribution.

The Kerry forwards eclipsed their Monaghan counterparts in the art of taking scores, functioning a little better as a unit, with more contributors. The Ulster county lacked a little physique when Vincent Corry had to be withdrawn to mark Walsh. The contrast is best exemplified when Hanratty spurned Monaghan's best goalscoring chance, pulling the ball wide from a difficult angle.

Kerry responded by tagging on 1-2 in a five-minute burst with Donaghy helping himself to a smartly taken goal and a fisted point and Sheehan knocking over a free.

O'Shea was able to spring the stronger bench, as shown in the contributions of Tommy Griffin and Eoin Brosnan.

Monaghan will rue missing four or five chances to score in the first half when they were under minimal pressure, but in Tommy Freeman and Hanratty they possessed two players who caused the Kerry full-back line many problems when they ran directly.

Kerry survived being edged at midfield primarily because their half-back line was largely dominant. Séamus Scanlon worked hard in the middle, and Darragh Ó Sé will benefit from the outing.

Earlier in the day, Fermanagh regressed to the bad habits that scuppered an opportunity to win a first ever Ulster title in losing out to Kildare. Once again they had so much possession but suffered a meagre return on the scoreboard.

You cannot compete for national trophies if you do not have a scoring threat in the final third of the pitch. A reliable free-taker is also a prerequisite. Fermanagh have so many qualities as a team but they have to address those fundamental shortcomings.

Kieran McGeeney has made Kildare a tough side to break down but if they have ambitions to go further they'll need to take a few more chances in pressing forward. It's not about being reckless but John Doyle's not going to win a match on his own. Kildare will need to post a decent tally if they are to beat Cork.

On Saturday, Mayo's flakiness in tight matches once again reared its head. They're simply not clinical enough. Tyrone outlasted them with a typically belligerent refusal to bow down. They are masters at closing out matches when there is little daylight between the teams on the scoreboard. They have that innate composure, refusing to panic and instead just grafting harder.

Seán Cavanagh chipped in with four points in his new role at full forward, offering the team a different tactical outlet.

Dublin will need to get rid of Tyrone early in their quarter-final because the longer the Ulster county remain in a game the more dangerous they become; of the non-provincial winners left in the championship, bar Kerry, they are arguably the most capable side.

Wexford are to be congratulated for the character they displayed in returning to the scene of their demolition in the Leinster final and crafting a rugged performance to beat Down. The whole squad and management deserve credit. Lessons were absorbed from the last day and I'd applaud the manager Jason Ryan for the alterations he made strategically to the way his team played. That's the hallmark of a good coach.

Matty Forde's left hamstring will, however, be a big concern. He would walk onto any county team; his value to Wexford cannot be overstated. Armagh won't take them lightly because to do so could prove a very humbling experience. They're in the quarter-finals on merit as they'll be keen to prove the next day.