Clare put media interviews on hold for replay

THE word from the Clare dressingroom to the waiting media was that players would not be available to talk until the match was finished - next week.

There were no such problems in the champions’ dressingroom where Henry Shefflin conceded it was one of the toughest championship matches he had ever played.

“With so much at stake now, no team is going to be easily beaten. As we expected Clare were fully fired up and all credit to them for coming so close to winning,” Shefflin said. “Clare proved they were a very good team and their defeat by Waterford was not a true reflection of their capabilities. It was a game that could have gone either way in the end, and I’m just relieved we are still in the championship.