Walsh: Final no-show was ‘disappointing’

Munster chairman Seán Walsh admitted the 9,139 attendance for yesterday’s Munster SFC final was “disappointing”.

However, he pointed out it was more than double the crowd for last year’s game between the sides.

“It’s a disappointing attendance but it’s over twice the crowd that was in Páirc Uí Chaoimh for last year’s Munster quarter-final (4,186).

“Of course, we’d prefer a bigger crowd for a Munster final but that’s the situation.”

Walsh refused to say whether the paltry number at the Gaelic Grounds justified the call for the open draw to end. “That’s a matter for the counties. There is fabulous work being done in the so-called weaker football counties and they don’t want to see it go and face having to beat Kerry and Cork every year.

“Then there is the other side of the argument and the fact 41,000 people attended the Munster final between Kerry and Cork last year.”

Meanwhile, Clare goalkeeper Joe Hayes insisted Cork’s third goal, scored by Nicholas Murphy, should not have counted. Hayes admits it wouldn’t have had an impact on the result of the game had Eddie Kinsella disallowed it. But he was adamant it was an illegitimate score.

“They got through so handy, they saw a gap and went for it,” he said of the first-half goals. “There were two good finishes.

“I’m disputing the last one because I thought the ball crossed the line before Nicholas touched it in.

“I said that to him but he wasn’t admitting it. It was a tough call and that’s why I was arguing with the umpire.

“But I don’t think it would have made much of a difference, at the end of the day.”

Murphy himself wouldn’t be drawn too much on the score.

“I don’t get many of them but sure whatever you get, it’s all a contribution. And if I can get a score, it’s better again.”

Hayes was dejected not to have put a better fight of it and said their first-half display wasn’t acceptable.

“We matched them point for point at times in the second half and maybe they won the second half by a few points but it’s very disappointing because we put so much into this the last four weeks since we got here.”

Clare have a three-week break until round four of the qualifiers when they face a team who will have two games in as many weekends behind them.

“We put a lot into this Munster final,” said Hayes. “We didn’t think about what way it would go if we lost or if we won. We have three weeks until round four of the qualifiers and that’s going to be our next goal. We have to forget about this and see where round four takes us.

“There’s going to be no easy draw. Maybe a few teams will figure us as an easy draw but there are going to be tough teams left in round four.

“You never know what might happen. We’ll prepare and give it a shot and see how it goes. That’s all we can do.”