Kerry manager Jack O'Connor says that his "undercooked" Kerry team were ruthlessly exposed by Donegal in the Allianz Football League Division 1 final.
Three goals in as many second half minutes ended the game at Croke Park as a contest early as the Kingdom relinquished the Corn Mhíchíl Uí Mhuircheartaigh in a sobering 13-point defeat.
The green and gold went 18 minutes after Keith Evans’s first-half goal without a score as Jim McGuinness' side took charge to retire to the dressing rooms with an eight-point interval lead.
Rapid-fire goals from Conor O'Donnell, Michael Murphy and Caolan McGonagle left the Kingdom reeling, all the sweeter for Donegal given their All-Ireland defeat to the same opposition last July.
Speaking to RTÉ Sport after the match, O’Connor said the intense draw with Armagh last weekend, which secured their place in the decider, took a lot from his side, something he sensed earlier in the week.
"It was a poor day for us," he said.
"The warning signs were there early. We were well off today, a bit lethargic and tired. I think the game against Armagh last weekend took a lot out of the boys, the pace and intensity of the game, even the journey.
"We could see that during the week. The boys were finding it hard to get that energy back. Croke Park is a bad place to come if you don’t have energy.
"Donegal are a nice bit ahead of us at the moment. We have a bit of catching up to do."
Managers Jim McGuinness and Jack O'Connor reflect on Donegal's comprehensive win over Kerry in the Allianz Football League Division 1 final
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Kerry’s route to Sam Maguire last year was merely chugging along before blitzing Armagh at the quarter-final stage proved to be the catalyst for their 39th All-Ireland title.
He’s hopeful that they can time their form correctly again this time around, four weeks out from their Munster championship opener against Clare in Ennis.
"We improved gradually last year throughout the championship and we’d be hoping for something similar this year," he said.
"We have a load of work to do. We have a lot of fellas that are undercooked. We picked up three injuries in Armagh, that was a blow to us. Fellas we put in then are a little undercooked and that will be exposed ruthlessly in Croke Park with the size of the pitch."
