Coy Fitzgerald refuses to be drawn on Banner emotions

IT was a pairing that was bound to stir up a well of personal emotions but despite 17 championship seasons of service to the Clare senior hurlers, Davy Fitzgerald was focused on his current role as Waterford manager in yesterday’s Munster SHC semi-final in Semple Stadium.

Fitzgerald was reluctant afterwards to talk about the personal dilemma that the game posed for him but he did pay tribute to the spirited nature of the Clareperformance. “I’m not going to comment on how I felt that is my own personal view on it. I’ll continue to work as hard as I can. But those Clare lads won an All-Ireland U21 last year and they did not win it for nothing.

“They won it because they showed guts and the important thing for those boys now is that they have to drive on after that and that is very important. I thought Clare hassled and harried like their lives depended on it. I’m saying it for the last number of months that this was what wasgoing to happen. I read their articles before the game. I knew it meant a lot to them. I think Clare over the last 15 years have never rolled to Waterford. They showed it again today.”