Dublin felt the pressure of the five-in-a-row on their shoulders and it helped Kerry out last Sunday, according to Eoin 'Bomber' Liston.
Liston is among an exclusive group of Irish athletes to know the weight of expectation on a five-chaser's shoulders, having been a key man in the Kerry squad that went down in 1982 at the final hurdle.
And while he commended the Dubs for recovering down the stretch after losing a five-point lead and Johnny Cooper to a red card, Liston feels the pressure will only be higher in next weekend's replay.
“You can be certain and sure that it had everything to do with that pressure and it'll be there again the next day,” Liston told the Irish Independent.
“I had the experience of the five-in-a-row pressure and a lot of us felt it very big and were pale and everything. Coming down the home straight it was intensified even more.
“But in fairness to Dublin, they did very well considering they were down a man.
“When they went a point down it looked like it was Kerry's but the way Dublin played just shows you how much preparation has gone into them and what they've learned over the last five years.
“There's a reason why these things have never been done before. They are a great team but they have to go through that pressure and come out on top before we doff our hats.”
