Speaking to the press after Kerry's 1-12 to 1-11 against Monaghan, Pat O'Shea said that he was relieved. He was relieved to have won a match that Kerry should have lost and relieved to still be in this year's All-Ireland football championship.

The strain etched on his face told the story - eyes tired and battle weary. Words weren't needed.

Tom O'Sullivan echoed his manager's thoughts. Kieran Donaghy also used that six-letter word, as did Bryan Sheehan. Ditto for every other Kerry person in the capital, and beyond - be they man, woman or dog on the street. In Sesame Street style, relief was the word of the day, and how apt it was.

If Kerry beat the Dubs on Sunday week and go on to claim their 35th All-Ireland title, no one will remember this match, if you have Kerry blood coursing through your veins that it.

It's a different story for Monaghan because they should not have lost to Kerry. They deserved more, far more - a draw at the very least.

Monaghan led all the way though this intense All-Ireland quarter-final in Croker and the only time they fell in arrears was 69 minutes into the game when Tomas ” Sé fisted what turned out to be the match-winning point. It was cruel luck, and they didn't deserve it. But that's football.

Twice in successive games - Cork in the Munster final, and now against Monaghan - Kerry have scraped and edged close encounters, and these are games that the county might have lost in other years. So, taking the positives, Kerry will be delighted to be in the last four but there is serious work to be done in the next week or so.

Whether it was the six-week lay-off that played its part in the All-Ireland champs' sluggish showing is one for the Mystic Megs to decide. It's impossible to know but everyone agrees that it didn't help.

Kerry were slow out of the starting blocks and before the county's supporters' had time to reac-quaint themselves with the familiar surrounds of the GAA's headquarters, Monaghan has built up a 1-2 to 0-1 lead. This after just seven minutes. It didn't get much better with mistakes aplenty. They were far too many for Kerry's liking.

Kerry's full back-line were tossed around Croke Park like a lost leaf in the wind. Monaghan were the powerful gale. The poor showing, and how easily they were dragged all over the pitch, not to mention exposed, will be a huge worry for Pat O'Shea and Co. A repeat against the Dubs will spell the end. There is no point beating about the bush here.

The half back line weren't much better, and maybe Kerry will have to look at dropping Aidan O'Mahony back to the full back line for the next game, and maybe bring Tommy Griffin in at number six - just as they finished the game. It's an option.

As one pundit remarked outside the Kerry dressing-room after the game, O'Shea's men will have to reinvent themselves for the next game. He may have a point. If not reinvent, they definitely need to be reborn.

At midfield, Seamus Scanlon did well and he was more effective, over the 70 minutes, that his partner, Darragh ” Sé. Though when he was needed, the Gaeltacht man came up trumps with two huge catches at the end.

On to Kerry's starting forwards, the six combined kicked 1-2 from play. Compare that with Monaghan's forwards 0-9 from play. Who are the All-Ireland champions again? What was that about Kerry’s forwards seeing them home? Remember, Tom·s ” Sé scored the winner.

Kieran Donaghy was double-teamed time and time again. He was well marked. Colm Cooper was involved in a lot of scores though he also had a tough afternoon. The latter can be said for Mike Frank Russell (subbed), Eoin Brosnan (subbed), Paul Galvin (subbed) and Declan O'Sullivan. It wasn't a day to remember. But a win is a win.

In terms of intensity, this game will bring Kerry on no end. As well as training went for the past six weeks, there is no substitute for the actual championship games. Monaghan had them. Kerry didn't. It showed.

Battered and bruised after the game, Kerry's players knew that had just survived an almighty scare. And that's what it was.

The warning signs were there when Rory Woods and Thomas Freeman kicked over early scores as the Ulster side attacked the Hill 16 goal. A Russell free, for a foul on Cooper, halved the gap just five minutes in.

The, two minutes later, a clumsy challenge from Eoin Brosnan felled Ciar·n Hanratty in the square, and a penalty was awarded.

From bad to worse, and the game was barely on. A low, sweeping right foot shot from Thomas Freeman guided the ball to the right side-netting of Diarmuid Murphy's goal. It was a great strike.

Yet another foul on Cooper led to another Russell free, and three points in a four-minute spell leveled the game by the 21st minute, 0-5 to 1-2. Two Cooper frees and a Brosnan score did the damage. But Kerry could not get that lead point.

The Farney County responded with points from Paul Finlay, Rory Woods and Stephen Gollogly. Throw in a great stop from Murphy from Woods, and Kerry were lucky to be only 1-5 to 0-5 behind.

As half time neared, Kerry fought their way back into the game with effort from Killian Young (a lovely score) and two points from Russell - one a free. At the break, it was a level playing field, 0-8 to 1-5, but Monaghan had the better of those first 35 minutes.

They should have been more in front after they had carved Kerry's back line open on a few occasions.

The second half didn't get much better for Kerry. A sweet effort from Thomas Freeman was cancelled out with a Cooper free.

Monaghan made a brave burst for home, rattling off three points to lead 1-9 to 0-9 with 16 minutes left. The half was whizzing by, too fast for Kerry's likening.

Then, Kieran Donaghy almost repeated his goal-scoring feat against Armagh last season, as he caught a high ball near the square, turned and shot. For a moment, Colm Cooper's hands almost foretold a goal. It raced narrowly wide. Was that Kerry's goal scoring chance gone? No, as matters seconds later showed.

A high ball was lobbed in, Donaghy broke it down to the on-coming Declan O'Sullivan, and the Kerry skipper rolled the ball home. Game on, 1-9 each.

But instead of Kerry pushing on, back came Monaghan with points from Thomas Freeman and Finlay. They just didn't know when to lie down. It was, as said already, intense. That word, coupled with relief, just sums up this last eight encounter.

Sprung from the bench, two points from Bryan Sheehan squared up this game at 1-11 apiece and a draw looked on the cards. But as Kerry grew stronger, Monaghan wilted. Their inexperience told, and, ultimately, cost them in the end.

One minute from time, Tomas ” Sé scored that all-important point and while Paul Meegan had a chance to level, it just wasn't to be as Pat O'Shea's men clung on. Monaghan's Dick Clerkin was red carded at the death for picking up his second yellow.

It was a win they didn't deserve but they are in the semi-finals nonetheless. That's all that counts.

Playing Dublin is a different ball game altogether and it's sure to be a cracker but Kerry need huge improvement, and they know that.

Let’s hope thay can find that improvement in the next two weeks.

Kerry: D Murphy; M ” Sé, T O’Sullivan, P Reidy; K Young (0-1), A O’Mahony, T ” Sé (0-1); D ” Sé, S Scanlon; Declan O’Sullivan (1-0), E Brosnan (0-1), P Galvin; C Cooper (0-3 frees), K Donaghy, MF Russell (0-4, 0-3 frees).

Subs used: S O'Sullivan for Galvin, B Sheehan (0-2) for Russell, T Griffin for Reidy, Darren O'Sullivan for E Brosnan Monaghan: S Duffy; D Mone, V Corey, C Flanagan; D McArdle, G McQuaid, JP Mone, D Clerkin, E Lennon; S Gollogly (0-1), P Finlay (0-2), D Freeman; C Hanratty (0-2), R Woods (0-3), T Freeman (1-3, 1-0 pen, 0-1 free). Subs used: D Hughes for Gollogly; P Meegan for D Mone; H MeElroy for R Woods; B McKenna for S Mulligan.

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