“It’s such a hard blow. It was an incredible act of bravery – one of the bravest acts I’ve ever seen – and it stopped a Carlow attack when they were driving on looking for a goal to level the game.”

Laois 4-13 Westmeath 1-12

Clare only led once in this qualifier, but they hit the front when it mattered most, landing a winner as the game slipped into stoppage time to crown a great weekend for the Banner County.

Dublin 2-21 Laois 2-10: For a time, it didn’t appear Jim Gavin wanted to level any criticism at his team for the two goals they conceded in the second half.