Nash: Heads down, back to training

Cork goalkeeper Anthony Nash was a central figure in today's All-Ireland SHC final against Clare, scoring one of the Rebels' goals and having a penalty saved in the 3-16 to 0-25 draw.

Apart from a nervy start, it was drama all the way as these Munster rivals played out a fascinating duel in Dublin 3, with three second half majors from Conor Lehane, Nash and captain Pa Cronin keeping Cork in the hunt against long-time leaders Clare.

The Rebels, working off scraps of possession, even nudged ahead in injury-time as Pat Horgan took his tally to a handsome 0-10 (0-8f), before defender Domhnall O'Donovan nabbed a last-gasp equaliser for Davy Fitzgerald's young side.

Nash certainly earned his corn by stopping a Darach Honan ground stroke in the first half and hoovering up the loose ball, but he had two placed-ball efforts on goal blocked himself.

Clare stopper Patrick Kelly got his body in the way of Nash's first attempt on goal (a 21-yard free) and although the 2012 All-Star netted a 58th minute free, he had a penalty deflected onto the crossbar soon after.

Asked for his reaction in the aftermath of the game, Nash said: "There's mixed emotions, I suppose. You don't really know if you're happy or sad.

"With 15 minutes to go we were well out of the game and then when injury-time was up, we had the lead.

"It was the strangest game ever. I was up and down the field at one stage, I was more out of the goal than in the goal for two or three minutes there!

"It's weird, it's strange. How do we feel now? Just put the heads down for the next few weeks, there's no point saying otherwise. Heads down, back to training and just drive on and prepare for another final."

Nash's opposite number Kelly was well off his line and out of the Clare square when he managed to stop that first 21-yard free, with the Kanturk clubman feeling that referee Brian Gavin might have ordered it to be retaken.

"I looked up and was surprised to see the goalkeeper encroached so close to me. It happened to me once before and we got a retake. I was expecting a retake but look, we played on and that was it," he told RTÉ's 'The Sunday Game Live'.

"I was lucky with the second one (which went in) and the third one just they saved it well on the line and unfortunately it went off the crossbar.

"It could have gone over or under (the bar), but you don't know what would have happened after that...the game might have changed or we might have won by a point or lost by a point. It happened and that's it really."

There was a minute's applause before this afternoon's game for Teresa Murphy, the wife of former Cork GAA secretary Con Murphy, and Catherine Kelly, the wife of last year's All-Ireland final referee Barry Kelly.

They both sadly passed away in recent days, with the sudden loss of Barry Kelly's partner having a particular affect on Nash.

"Anytime you get a draw you look at it and think: 'What could we have done?' It will take us a day or two to look back at it and look at the stats and where we could have improved. It's a strange feeling, another three weeks of preparation.

"Unfortunately the GAA lost a good person (earlier in the week), so it kind of puts it into perspective when you see the likes of Barry Kelly's wife passing away.

"We'll all go back to work tomorrow and be preparing for a final and unfortunately a man like that in the GAA has lost a family member, so it puts things very much into perspective."

Cork half-forward Cian McCarthy damaged his ankle during a short spell on the pitch in the second half and will have the injured assessed in the coming days.

Asked who he feels has the initiative heading into the replay on Saturday, September 28, Nash added: "I don't think any team has the edge (for the replay). I suppose Clare had a better performance than us today for 65 minutes or so.

"They'll be happy enough with their performance and will try and push on and we'll do the same.

"Look, it's game two and every team is going to try and improve on what they were poor at and every team will try and push on at what they were good at."