Ennis had the legs in extra time - Kelly

By Stephen Barry

As manager of Loughmore/Castleiney, Éamonn Kelly knows a hard-working team when he sees one.

On Sunday, he credited Éire Óg Ennis with being the most energetic side he’d encountered on a hurling field.

While Loughmore could’ve easily got over the line in normal time, they ran out of puff in the extra twenty minutes.

“I've never met a harder-working team,” Kelly said.

“Both teams worked very, very hard off the ball. Every time on the ball, both sets of teams were getting turned over in the tackle. It was that kind of a game.

“I think it took its toll on us. The lads were dead on their feet in the finish.

“It was one of those games, and I can't say there was any one incident other than they ground it out.

“They looked to have more legs in extra-time. I think they were good value for their win.”

Éire Óg manager Gerry O’Connor hailed the contest as “the most physical game of hurling I've ever seen in all my life”. Kelly felt the pressure the Clare champions put his side under forced the catalogue of misses which cost them the game in the second half.

“I felt we had a few chances in normal time, but the wides went against us. We’d ten wides in the second half. Some of them were good chances, but you have to give credit to Éire Óg. To be fair, they had you under that pressure as well.

“They're well set up and I think they'll be a match for anybody.”

John McGrath’s twelve points, including five from play, led the way for Loughmore. But they had just 1-4 from other sources.

“John is John. Sure, he's the Hurler of the Year, but it was very, very difficult to get space out there,” said Kelly.

Even then, going into the second period of extra-time, Loughmore were still poised within one point of Éire Óg with the wind gusting in their favour.

“We were still there,” Kelly added.

“David Reidy turned the game then. He got a ball in the middle of the field and took it on. They were blocked down twice and it still fell back into his path. They got a great goal and that put the cap on it. It was going to be a tall ask from there.

“We've no qualms. I think Ennis were the better team on the day. We wish them every luck in the final.”