Tony Kelly: 'It was a savage win'

By Cian O'Connell

"It was a savage win, the whole occasion, the game itself," Clare captain Tony Kelly reflected about an All-Ireland SHC Final that went the distance at Croke Park.

Clare and Cork contributed handsomely to a classic and compelling match, but the Banner prevailed. "It was billed that it was going to be a shootout, an absolute cracker, and that is the way it unfolded," Kelly added.

"We are just delighted to come out on the right side of it because it was tough going, but it was worth it."

In the middle of the chaos and drama, Kelly knew it was a thriller, but the Ballyea clubman acknowledged the importance of the depth in the Clare panel. "You know it is ebbing and flowing in terms of scores," Kelly says.

"It is just about trying to capitalise on your purple patch. In normal time we felt a bit disappointed, we were three up, and they clawed us back.

"We missed a bit, maybe, coming down the home straight, but in fairness to Cork, they kept coming and kept coming. I thought both benches, our bench, especially at the back, were outstanding. Losing the likes of (Conor) Cleary, but (Darragh) Lohan filled in seamlessly; Ian Galvin, it was just a massive effort."

Kelly's outrageous second half goal will linger long in the memory. "It was kind of play at as you see it," Kelly responded.

"I was probably going to tap it over until someone came, and I couldn't. Then, I just kept going, thankfully it found the back of the net, somehow."

Eleven years ago Clare triumphed on this stage so returning to the hurling summit matters deeply to Kelly. "It is massive," Kelly says. "We won one, a lot of us were so young, we probably came off the back of underage success and thought it was a run of the mill job.

"We didn't really appreciate how tough it is to get back to Croke Park. That is what makes today all the sweeter for the seven or eight lads that won here 11 years ago. It is that bit sweeter for us seven or eight."