Circuitous qualifiers route can steel teams, believes Lyons

Your team has just been beaten in the provincial championship and you’re heading out the back-door and into the jungle of the All-Ireland qualifiers.

As the manager how do you handle this and get your team back on track?

May 19, 2002. It’s the Munster quarter-final and on their first day out Clare lost to Tipperary by two points, 1-18 to 2-13. Just under four months later they were in the All-Ireland final having lost to Kilkenny by seven points but you had a hell of a run.