Ryan: Nobody gave us a chance coming down

THE winning manager was a little detached as the celebrations began yesterday. When De La Salle’s captain, Ian Flynn, paid tribute to Michael Ryan the man in the bainisteoir’s bib gave a nod to the podium but didn’t go overboard.

He had the look of a man savouring the surroundings.

“We have to be happy,” said Ryan. “We’ve had a very tough campaign – we beat the Cork champions in the semi-final and Tipperary now. Nobody gave us a chance coming down only ourselves, and Thurles Sars are a formidable team, a very good hurling team.

“We used up a lot of energy in the first-half closing them down and certainly we gave ourselves a lot to do in the second-half, but we dug in and, to be fair, we probably got one or two breaks on the day.”

They also made their own breaks. John Mullane put away his indifferent semi-final form and the winner came from a youthful substitute.

“John Mullane coming to wing-forward was an enormous help,” said Ryan. “Young (Eoin) Madigan came on and got a peach of a point – that was probably the turning point.”

Ryan pointed out the challenges the underfoot conditions presented for both sets of players: “The problem was that there were two different surfaces – on the stand side it’s probably dangerous while it’s nice and crisp on the other side. The choice of studs was always going to be crucial, but we won’t talk about conditions now.”

The experience of a Munster title two years ago was another factor.

“It definitely helped, being in the final two years ago. We had that composure at the end and we played the ball down into the corner, we were able to close out the game.

“For Sars, their first Munster final, it was a big game for them, but it still came down to one puck of a ball.”

Now that De La Salle are in the All-Ireland series they have the Galway champions to contend with, but Ryan was honest about the attitude the remaining sides will take into 2011.

“The four teams left will all fancy their chances. We’re playing Clarinbridge of Galway, who’ll be very strong.

“We’ll enjoy the next couple of days and then sit down as a management team and plot a course to get us ready for the All-Ireland semi-final.”

Then it was time for the dressing-room, and the additional silver passenger for the drive back east.