Fitzgerald: We're only the small, little fish out there

Davy Fitzgerald seemed to be alluding to some of the refereeing decisions that went against his Clare team after today's All-Ireland SHC final draw.

"We're only the small, little fish out there and we're trying hard to make it through," he said.

"But how do you get the breaks when you're a small fish?"

The Clare boss watched his side concede a penalty and two 21-yard frees in the Croke Park clash, one of which produced a goal, while a couple of 'soft' frees were pointed by Pat Horgan as Cork chipped away to the Banner men's lead in the first half.

Referee Brian Gavin may also have opted to send off Cork's Shane O'Neill in the opening period after he struck Darach Honan on the helmet with his hurley.

A similar incident led to Horgan being dismissed against Limerick earlier in the summer, but Gavin decided to yellow card both O'Neill and Honan for their altercation close to the Cork goal today.

Speaking afterwards to RTÉ's 'The Sunday Game Live', Fitzgerald said: "I thought we played unreal stuff, so we did, today.

"A lot of things out there I could talk about but I'm just going to leave it be. We have another day out in three weeks' time.

"People aren't blind out there, just leave it at that. We've got to go out to battle again and we'll go out and battle.

"The good thing about Clare and Cork, they're two good hurling teams and they gave everything they had out there today, and it was great for the neutral to watch - maybe not so great for us.

"We had it won a few times and they kept being brought back into it. That's the way it goes, isn't it? We're only the small, little fish out there and we’re trying hard to make it through but how do you get the breaks when you’re a small fish?"

Fitzgerald's men built a 0-12 to 0-10 half-time lead and were four points to the good, dictating play for the most part, before Conor Lehane's excellent individual goal sparked some life out of the Rebels' off-colour attack.

A stunning solo point from Podge Collins and Colin Ryan's sure-footed free-taking helped Clare edge 0-21 to 1-13 clear with just 15 minutes to go.

But Luke O'Farrell was fouled for a 21-yard free which Cork goalkeeper Anthony Nash drilled to the net and although the same player had a penalty attempt blocked, captain Pa Cronin cracked home a third goal for Cork to level matters at 3-14 to 0-23.

In a tension-filled finale, Cork free-taker Horgan tagged on two more points before corner back Domhnall O'Donovan secured a replay for Clare with the levelling point in injury-time.

Fitzgerald gave credit to Cork for conjuring up that trio of second-half goals and is predicting another exciting encounter when the sides renew rivalries on Saturday, September 28.

"The opportunities that were presented, presented to Cork, were fairly unreal and they hit us blow after blow, and we kept coming back.

"It's tough on the lads, they're young lads and they keep having to deal with blow after blow but they dealt with it and I'm extremely proud of them. And fair play to Cork, it was a good hurling game out there, and it will be exciting again the next day."

The county's legendary goalkeeper, who won All-Irelands as a player in 1995 and 1997, breathed a sigh of relief when Clare got that late point to force a draw - but he was more than a little surprised at the scorer.

"Didn't they show some heart at the end when the game looked over to back up the field? And Domhnall O'Donovan, probably if I had to pick one, I don't know if I would have picked 'Dunny', but he did the business."

Eight of Fitzgerald's senior panel are set to feature in next Saturday's All-Ireland U-21 final between Clare and Antrim, and the Sixmilebridge clubman admitted it will be 'a big ask' for his youngsters to match their level of performance in the replay.

"Will they get back up to that same level again the next day? It will be extremely hard I will be honest with you because the Under-21 (final) will knock a lot out of them next week and then you have to bring them right up again," he explained.

"In saying that, would it surprise me? It wouldn't because these guys don't know when to quit, but it will be a big ask. If you asked me straight now, Cork will have the initiative now the next day going in to it.

"No matter what, it's an occasion. These lads now have to...after an All-Ireland it's unreal how you feel, win, lose or draw. This is going to take them days and then they are going to have to try and get back up for next weekend.

"Then they have to get down again and get back up again. Cork are probably laughing that we are still in the U-21 and that we have to go again, but things have been pushed against us all day – as they were out there today – and we are still there. We are not gone any place yet."