Inter-county players had huge bearing in Kerry win, says Clarke

NO major regrets from manager/trainer Fergal O’Sé at not having an active role in his team’s impressive victory in Thurles yesterday, but real pride in the achievement of reaching the AIB All-Ireland club football final against Caltra on St Patrick’s Day.

"Words can't describe our emotions in the dressing-room," he said. Ruled out by suspension, he admitted that the excitement alone on the line compensated for him missing the game.

True to form, St Brigid's manager Paddy Clarke drew on some colourful descriptions to explain his side's defeat. Making the point that Gaeltacht benefited considerably from the experience of their county players, he said: "This was only bread and butter stuff to them. For a lot of our players, this was the biggest match they ever played."

Fergal Ó'Sé agreed that Riobaird MacGearailt's 42nd minute goal had a vital bearing coming just after St Brigid's had grabbed a second goal which put them four points clear. MacGearailt didn't know he had scored until he heard the crowd reaction. "I remember a long ball came in from Dara O'Cinneide and broke between Cathal O'Dubhda and his man," he said. "On the turn, I just hit it. I did not even see it going into the net, 'til I heard the roar. It was a great feeling. It was so important to get it soon after their second goal because it brought us back into the game again."

Making the point that it came down to 'which team wanted it most,' Fergal O'Sé praised his team for the way 'they kept plugging away.'

"Everybody kept their foot to the pedal. All credit to the 18 players who lined out. Everybody worked for each other. It wasn't a question of one man trying to win it on their own.

"When you are born in Kerry all you want to do is play in an All-Ireland final with a Kerry team and you never think it might happen to your club.

"It's a wonderful day for everybody, all the people in the Gaeltacht ar fud an domhain. Beidh siad in a' baile (Dublin) don craobh and beidh se sin go hiontach are fad!"

Tomás Ó Sé agreed that the going had been tough against the wind in the first half, commenting: "they were putting us under a lot of pressure. It seemed the ball was continually in our half and we found it hard enough at times to get out of defence. But, we made good use of the wind in the second half and they fouled a bit more, which helped."

Paddy Clarke had no regrets either. "You couldn't be satisfied with three points. Overall, we didn't panic, but Darragh O'Sé did have a mighty game. And, in the first 15 minutes we were too nervous. I thought the goal would have a settling effect, but there were times when we pulled the trigger a little bit with a few of our shots. I wouldn't say we were comfortable after we got our second goal, but I thought it would give us the confidence to try and hold out.

"However, I'm as proud of punch of our lads. They proved themselves worthy Dublin and Leinster champions," he added. "Last January, when the boys were taking 12 minutes to run a mile, if you said that twelve months later they would be involved in an All-Ireland semi-final, I'd have asked what planet were you from!"