O’Connor: We have new energy and freshness

THE satisfaction was clearly evident in the Kerry camp at the final whistle in Fitzgerald Stadium yesterday.

Another provincial title was secured against their fiercest rivals, with the added bonus of having to weather a second-half storm from the All-Ireland champions before emerging with victory in a tight finish. Job well done for manager Jack O’Connor.

“They were coming down as All-Ireland champions, but we have a great record here in the stadium. We certainly didn’t want them beating us in our own backyard. I thought we prepared very well for the game. I know we were short personnel. But we felt the players we had available had prepared extremely professionally and that Cork were going to have to play awful well to beat us. That’s the way it panned out.”