A disconsolate Peter Keane cited Kerry's failure to convert their goal opportunities in their semi-final loss to Tyrone and stressed he didn't wish to labour the excuse of the five-week gap between games.
Kerry's forward line, rattling in goals at a furious rate in 2021 - including six against Tyrone in Killarney in June - failed to register a three-pointer on their first visit to Croke Park.
The one time they did find the net, Stephen O'Brien had inexplicably stationed himself inside the square to receive a hand-pass from Sean O'Shea and the goal was correctly chalked off.
In 11 games at GAA HQ since their 2017 semi-final against Mayo, Kerry have won just once.
"It's a quiet dressing room, fellas are very disappointed," Keane sighed afterwards.
"Obviously, we came here with an ambition of getting to a final. That's eluded us so there's a lot of disappointment.
"One of the things we had been doing a lot throughout the year has been scoring goals. We had four opportunities today, didn't come home with anything.
"I think Tyrone had three goal opportunities and came away with three. Is therein the problem?
"We had something like 33 shots at the posts and got 23 points."
Relatively curt in his answers, the Kerry boss acknowledged that the lengthy gap between games had forced them to "deviate" from their plan at the start of the year.
"Obviously, you set out with an overall plan at the start of the year and you had to deviate from it. We originally thought we had a three week window.
"Then it was becoming a four-week window and then it became a five week window. Look, that's not offering up excuses here today."
