Kerry manager Jack O'Connor was content his side bounced back from their "unacceptable" display in Croke Park last Saturday as they saw off Tyrone in Killarney this afternoon.
Ciarán Daly's late goal put a healthier complexion on the scoreline from the visitors' perspective but, in truth, Kerry were well in control throughout, dominating the middle passage of the game in particular, their lead generally hovering between seven and nine points.
The win lifted Kerry onto six points in Division 1 and helped excise some of the demons from last weekend's sobering 10-point loss to Dublin in Croke Park.
O'Connor, who admitted his charges were "tentative" in the early stages, said they had worked on improving their basics and their attitude in the intervening eight days.
"Of course it was important. Because that was an unacceptable display in Croke Park the last night," the Kerry boss told RTÉ's Sunday Sport afterwards.
"The Dubs are very good and they were right on it on the night. But we were poor.
"We worked during the week on getting the basics right, getting the attitude right. Being better on our kickouts. To a large extent, I thought we got those couple of things right."
The gap stood at eight points when Seanie O'Donnell weaved through the Kerry defence to lay on the goal for Daly and teed up a rather untidy finish to the game for the victors.
"It was a bit closer in the end that it should have been. We got a bit sloppy there in the second half and the Tyrone goal brought them back in it to an extent.
"I thought it was probably a seven or eight point game to be honest with you.
"But look we were determined to get out of here with a win - any kind of a win today. Happy enough with the performance but bit closer than it should have been.
"I thought we were tentative early on and maybe a bit nervous. After the display last week, lads were probably questioning themselves a bit. But I thought we grew into the game, particularly after the bit of a row on the sideline.
"We finished the half well and started the second half very well and maybe got a bit sloppy after that."
"I thought it was probably a seven or eight point game to be honest with you.
David Clifford had been afflicted with the yips in front of goal in GAA HQ last weekend, missing a hatful of chances in the first half in front of a jeering Hill 16. He slipped into a more regular groove today, converting eight of eight chances, while Paudie rustled up 0-03 from play.
"David Clifford's accuracy was fairly good anyway," said O'Connor. "I think it was 100%. There was a few fellas giving out about him after last week.
"But there's no fear on David. We know the stuff that's inside his shirt. Delighted for him and Paudie as well. They're a great family. Their heart and soul is in Kerry football.
Asked whether reaching the six-point total likely assures Kerry of safety in Division 1 - the Kingdom are the only team to have every season in the top tier since the 2008 re-organisation - O'Connor reckoned it was probably sufficient.
"Yerra, it does. I suppose it does, a little bit. We'll see how we go next week. We'll re-assess injuries and we start using the panel more. We'll see. We haven't our mind made up yet about that."
Tyrone selector Collie Holmes said the game got away from them in period leading up to half-time and said their profligacy in front of goal was their biggest issue at present.
"We're not nailing half enough. We'd as many or more wides in the first half than we had scores. Eight wides and six scores. We need to flip that.
"We needing to be hitting closer to 65% or 70%. Dublin, last night, I think had 76% accuracy. We're not going to be anywhere near that top end if we don't start to nail those."
Veteran wing back Peter Harte trooped off injured before half-time, though Holmes indicated the injury was nothing too serious.
"Petey was just tight, a tight calf. Conn (Kilpatrick), a bit of a twist in the ankle. Nothing too bad. That's what happens in the third game on the bounce. We'll get them patched up and then train hard for Monaghan."
With a difficult final game away to Dublin, Tyrone's home game against Monaghan in a fortnight's time has the feel of a relegation shootout - if Vinny Corey's side can buck the form-guide and scrape out a win they'll nip above Tyrone in the head-to-head stakes.
"When you're backed into the corner, there's only one way to come out. It's us or Monaghan and you've Dublin after that. Everyone is looking at each other's fixtures and seeing who's going to ping who. We need to look after our own situation and put in a big shift in Omagh in two weeks time."
