Shane Ryan counting on Kerry's capabilities blossoming

Would Kerry have prevailed over Dublin if the All-Ireland SFC semi-final had gone to extra-time?

It's a moot point that will stay littered on the cutting room floor of history given how Seanie O'Shea's nerveless free ensured no other eventuality other than the Kingdom's passage into a Croke Park decider against Galway on Sunday.

Kerry goalkeeper Shane Ryan had a bird's eye view of O'Shea's extraordinary point as he told RTÉ Sport in the shadow of a potentially rewarding weekend on the silverware front.

"I was directly behind it. I was probably on our '45 and when the ball left his boot you were with it the whole way over and thank God it was a super kick and put us in a position that we're in today," he said.

"We were hoping it would go over but at the back of your head you're preparing for extra-time too. I'm just delighted it went over and that it put us into the position we want to be in which is an All-Ireland final."

Ryan said he had no doubts O'Shea would deliver as he stood over the kick, succinctly stating: "When you see Seanie night in, night out in training, you know his capabilities."

It's not just one individual's capabilitiess that is giving the Rathmore clubman quiet confidence ahead of the final against Galway. The potential within the collective is buoying him.

"Any team that goes out to play a championship game, you think you're going to win. That's what we do it for," he said.

"We set out our stall in January of each year. We think we're capable but we're very aware that we're going to need to be performing at the highest levels that we have."

But that being said, given he is the last line of defence in a game featuring potent forward lines on both sides, Ryan is under no illusion of the threat Galway will pose