O’Connor: I thought we put in a good shift for the last hour or so

Cork’s man of the match Donncha O’Connor felt his side were value for their five-point win and the Ballydesmond man wasn’t shy about expressing his satisfaction in getting one over on Kerry.

“The more times you beat Kerry the happier you will be. Obviously, they feel the same and we can never beat them enough times really.

“They’ve beaten us a good few times so any time you beat them it’s a good day, really. It’s been nip and tuck in the last few years. Two years ago we might have felt we left it after us in Killarney and we came back.

“You don’t get second chances against the top teams. You have to take them when you get them and we took them today.”

O’Connor was pleased with the manner in which Cork killed off the game after Kerry had threatened Cork’s goal on a few occasions in the first-half.

“Conditions were tough out. It was fierce warm. Both sides missed a bit, Kerry could have had a goal in the first half and we probably could have had one in the second half.

“Over the 70 minutes I think we deserved it. We played good football at times and we played well in the finish up.

“I thought we put in a good shift for the last hour or so.”

O’Connor played down his own contribution of six points, insisting “two or three were handy ones”.

He was quicker to praise Alan Quirke for his couple of point blank saves in the first-half.

“Obviously the saying goes, no matter what game it is, goals win games and I think Quirkey pulled off two great saves in the first half.

“It looked like they were going to score but we did well there and the second half, I think we created the two in the second half.

“Well, one half-chance but I suppose Colm’s chance was a glorious goal chance and he might have just taken the safer option.

“I know Kerry had one or two goal chances but I felt we probably should have got a goal in the second half.”

As for Clare and the Munster final, O’Connor expects competition for places will hot up ahead of July 8 and ensure nothing will be taken for granted.

“Conor [Counihan] keeps on to us about the panel we have and if you’re not focused and ready for the next game, no matter who it’s against, there will be other fellas who want it more than you.

“You have to turn up to training or matches fully focused or you won’t be long being found out. It doesn’t matter who you’re playing — Dublin, Mayo or Clare — you have to be focused.

“We have to treat every game the same because it’s so hard to hold onto your place.

“With the players we have on the bench we can take nothing for granted.”