SETTING the scene for his listeners before this unexpectedly nerve tingling Munster senior football semi final at Austin Stack Park, Tralee yesterday, a commentator for local radio advised that it would be a David and Goliath affair, with the big difference from the biblical version being that Tipperary were not equipped with either a stone or a sling.

During the succeeding 70 minutes of end to end play, Tipperary's battling 20 to 1 outsiders produced a brave, if unavailing, challenge in front of a crowd of 10,215, only to feel badly frustrated at the end of a match they justifiably felt they could have won.

Ultimately, it took a hammer blow in the form of a last quarter Den is O'Dwyer goal to put the stubborn Tipperary side away.

It was a Tipperary performance based on skills, courage, cohesion and drive. They got within a point of their hotly tipped rivals 26 minutes into the second half with wind advantage to bolster their bid.

Kerry manager Paid O Se felt obliged to tell the players in their dressing room afterwards: "I really thought the game was gone from us with 10 minutes to go.

At that stage the battle hardened Tipperary side, with three championship matches already under their belts, were responding with great gusto and heart to the promptings of their manager, Paddy Morrissey.

If anything, Kerry had begun to look like underdogs. The short comings of their attack had already been demonstrated with some ridiculous wides and a devastated looking O Se had to be spoken to by Clare referee Kevin Walsh.

The shock of the year seemed imminent and Kerry were playing their part to bring it about. They finished up with 18 wides against three for Tipperary.

Derry Foley was giving Tipperary an edge in the middle, and the Tipperary front runners, though well policed, were still showing ability to round their markers. However, John Owens, the usually reliable Tipperary attack leader, was outplayed by Liam Flaherty.

All the while, Kerry's impressive ability to gain possession was not being matched by scores on the board.

Tipperary had looked to be on the receiving end of a knockout punch as early as the sixth minute of the second half, when Kerry had their first goal. Substitute John Crowley took the score after Maurice Fitzgerald was frustrated by the brilliance of Martin Quinlivan in the Tipperary goal.

The challengers' reply to this set back, which left them trailing 1-8 to 0-3, was prompt and stunning. A Derry Foley lob aimed at his Moyle Rovers clubmate Declan Browne, led to the goal of the match. Browne crashed the ball low and hard to the far corner of the net from an angle on the left.

Maurice Fitzgerald, far less culpable in terms of the final shot at the Tipperary posts than most of his colleagues, continued to dig Kerry out of a deep hole with the placed ball.

But by this time Tipperary had introduced dual star Brendan Cummins. He proceeded to show deft touches with the free kicks and landed three valuable points within 12 minutes of his introduction. His contribution gave fresh impetus to a Tipperary resurgence that saw a five point deficit reduced to one.

Kerry players have rarely worked so hard before to stave off defeat. For persistence alone they deserved what followed in the shape of the matchwinning goal finished to the net by Denis O'Dwyer in the 26th minute of the second half.

Pa Laide was, appropriately, involved with a determined run. Liam Hassett, another tireless worker, also figured in the buildup, as did Fitzgerald, before Laide sent O'Dwyer clear from close range with the scoring pass.

After the goal, the sense of relief for Kerry was quite overwhelming. They had so clearly been rescued from imminent defeat. Brendan Cummins said that it wasn't until he got on to the pitch in the second half that he had realised how rattled Kerry were and how committed his own team was. "The spirit of our team was something I had never experienced before," he said.

Kerry, made to face the breeze in the first half, produced a lot of substandard play, especially when in sight of the Tipperary posts. The goal chance of the half fell to John Brennan but he sent wide.

The favourites had to field without their captain, Mike Hassett, who was ruled out with a leg injury. This caused a reshuffle in defence, but it was clear that Kerry's problems were mainly up front. Dara O Cinneide was withdrawn before half time.

Tipperary took a lot of time to settle. "It was difficult for us to get used to the pace," said their manager, Morrissey. His side, early on, seemed to be in disarray and they were fortunate to be trailing by only five points by the time Browne kicked their first score, a point from play after 18 minutes.

Dara O Se and Eamonn Breen were two of Kerry's best triers in terms of creating possession. Pa Laide and Liam Hassett were tireless ball carriers. Tipperary's young team had many promising prospects on view, not least Sean Collum, Sean Maher, Foley and Mark Sheehan.