Rigney hails ‘massive hearts’ of Stephens

NIALL RIGNEY managed a wry smile about Henry Shefflin’s late equaliser in yesterday’s Kilkenny county final.

“It was a good score, wasn’t it?” said the James Stephens boss.

“He took it well. These things happen. Someone said to me there were 64 minutes on the clock when he scored and he (the ref) gave two minutes of injury time. Look, it happened, we’re not dwelling on that at all.

“I thought our lads were fantastic – it was an unbelievable day for hurling, their hearts are massive and the Ballyhale lads are the very same.

“We’re delighted for them and as proud as hell of them.

“Conditions were desperate, the pitch was very heavy, very soft, you were nearly looking at should it have been pulled.

“But it was fought out in a great spirit, as we knew it would be. It was a great battle, a great contest.”

Ballyhale co-manager Michael Fennelly agreed on the conditions: “It was a terrible day for a game of hurling, wind and rain.

“They won the toss and it was probably an advantage. We played with it and really hadn’t enough scores at half-time.

“Overall we’re lucky, we got out of jail. We’ve another day.”

Ballyhale changed strip at half-time – a pre-planned move, said Fennelly.

“We had wet days here before and we were prepared for it. “You get the skin-tight jersey, not a loose jersey because our lads were being tugged and pulled and we were trying to avoid it.

“You couldn’t have a pretty game out there today, you couldn’t, impossible.

“Grit and workrate across the field. Whoever wants it most. Luckily enough it was an even game and we finished level.

“I said to James (McGarry, co-manager), ‘Will we make a substitution?’ ‘Sure it’s over,’ he said. The ball was down in our lower half and we got the free so I was happy then.”

James Stephens held a lot of the Ballyhale names quiet, which many observers remarked upon, but Rigney was already focusing on next week.

“People will probably blame the conditions for that too, but our lads have great belief, they have great desire and great heart and they’ve worked unbelievably hard.

“Now it’s back again next Sunday for another battle.

“We can win this, that’s what we were saying coming out of the dressing-room, there’s no negativity, no talk of referees or conditions or anything like that.

“We’re still in this – there are two teams left and thanks be to God we’re one of them.”