"It is still the month of April, there is still a lot of work to be done for championship. I don't think it would have been the end of the world, but the fact we won is a positive, of course."

Eamonn Fitzmaurice was not getting carried away following the Kingdom's 0-20 to 1-16 final win over Dublin.

"Every manager is doing the right thing for his team and if you're putting me on the spot to try and talk ill about Eamonn Fitzmaurice, I certainly ain't going to do it. I have nothing but the height of regard for Eamonn and he's an absolute gentleman. I certainly won't be speaking ill, if that's what you're trying to get me to do."

Jim Gavin refused to be drawn on comments made by his Kerry counterpart in the build-up to the final.

"Of course, he was a delightful footballer. The pure pleasure of watching him. He was a perfect goal finisher. He was a wizard on the field. My point about him has always been the same, that he doesn't have that warrior personality like other players who thrived in adversity."

Joe Brolly lit the fuse for a lively debate on where Colm Cooper ranks on the list of great corner-forwards on last night's Allianz League Sunday show.

"I normally wouldn't say it but in the article today, you had Canavan up on a pedestal. You cut the legs from under him two years ago. I think you open the door every morning, you see what way the wind is and if you go far enough east, you'll end up west. You actually will like."

The Gooch's former team-mate Tomas O Se wasn't having any of it.

"I know Joe did a personal assassination of him this morning. In 2002, when he came onto the scene, he was a genius. The role of a corner forward is a lot different to what it was 10 years ago."

Ciaran Whelan echoed O Se's sentiments.

"At that point (when Kildare were three up) you'd be saying it would be a nasty one to lose on the back of the possession and chances we had. But that is what management is about, it's always anxious, but fair play to the boys, it was a test of character and the beauty of this is they get to feel what pressure means."

Kevin Walsh was proud of his Galway players after they bridged a 16 year gap to the county's last win at Croke Park.

"I felt both teams were (nervous) to be honest, but I felt it particularly when we came back out on to the pitch for the pre-match warm-up. I just felt there were nerves there and it was a nervy first-half, to be fair. In the second-half we threw the shackles off a small bit, but some of the basic things we just didn't get right and Galway played as well as they had to play to win."

Nerves played a part in Kildare's defeat, according to Cian O'Neill.

"It was important we progressed things after last year. People were looking to see could we go any further than that, so it was important that we backed it up today."

It's onwards and upwards for Liam Kearns and Division 3 champions Tipperary.

"Goals win games and Tipperary exploited us at the back. That's ultimately the difference, they were breaking us down pretty easy to get scores. We chased, we pushed, we tried as much as we could, but ultimately we couldn't break them down."

Wee County boss Colin Kelly had no excuses.

"We have a very strong panel this year and a lot of good young lads are coming through. We also have good leaders in Paul Sharry, Ger Egan, John Heslin, Kevin Maguire and James Dolan to bring the young lads to the next level."

Tom Cribbin and Westmeath will approach their Leinster SFC quarter-final fixture with Offaly in a confident frame of mind following their Division 4 success.

"They were far superior all over the pitch. We just weren't good enough, didn't play well enough. No excuses."

Seamus McEnaney and Wexford must regroup ahead of their first round encounter with Carlow.

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