Our character shone through, says proud Quinn

The harder you’re made to work the more you appreciate the reward — that was the sentiment of Thurles Sars manager Seamus Quinn after this highly entertaining Tipperary SHC final.

His side led by seven at half time but were forced to come from behind to overcome a Drom & Inch side who seemed to grow stronger with each passing second half minute.

Quinn admitted: “That’s a sweet one. A lot of people questioned the run-in we had and that we hadn’t got a challenge. We knew the challenge we were going to get today. The character our lads showed when they came back was brilliant. It’s about leadership and belief and even the lads we brought in, they all delivered — we can’t ask for anything more.”

Drom & Inch, the reigning champions, had struggled to find their form in the first-half but then showed why they are champions in the second period and with a late Seamus Callanan shot shaving the post, so went their hopes of bringing the game to a replay.

Quinn continued: “Their manager (Teddy Kennedy) came into our dressing-room and said some lovely words about Tipperary hurling and where we want to get to. Everybody was saying that was a good county final. It’s hard to appreciate it when you’re on the line but for us, the sense of pride after coming through a battle like that is amazing. With 10 minutes to go, we’d have taken a draw but there is character in that team. There was a ball that went across the square there in the final minutes from Seamus Callanan... your life would flash before you! The next match is against Kilmallock in two weeks’ time and we’re going to give this one hell of a rattle now.”