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Hurling

hurling

Gerry O'Connor: 'We pulled it out of the fire'

Tipperary v Clare - Munster GAA Hurling Senior Championship Round 4

Tipperary v Clare - Munster GAA Hurling Senior Championship Round 4

By John Harrington

Clare hurling team joint-manager, Gerry O’Connor, praised the character of his players after their come from behind victory over Tipperary in yesterday’s dramatic Munster SHC clash at Semple Stadium.

They trailed by eight points at one stage in the first-half after a slow start and were still behind by four with five minutes of normal time remaining.

But they finished on a high, out-scoring Tipperary by 1-6 to 0-2 down the home straight to clinch their first win over the Premier County at Semple Stadium in 90 years.

“Look it we pulled it out of the fire because for the whole 75-80 minutes that we were out there on the field, we never let up,” said O’Connor.

“The character and the actual skill-sets and the stamina and the mentality and physicality of our team was tested to the absolute limit. We gave it in spades.

“It wasn't the complete performance by any means but it was a fantastic performance when we absolutely had to give a performance in that last 10 or 15 minutes.

“I've got to really add the crowd, our supporters, who we appealed to all week to come down and support us were phenomenal in how they supported the team plus our bench. The four or five guys that came on really contributed.”

The match swung on a very obvious turning-point.

With 65 minutes on the clock, Tipp substitute Jake Morris raced through on goal but his well-struck shot came back off the left upright.

Tipperary v Clare - Munster GAA Hurling Senior Championship Round 4

Tipperary v Clare - Munster GAA Hurling Senior Championship Round 4

Clare went straight down the field and 18 seconds later had the ball in the back of the Tipperary net when Peter Duggan and Podge Collins combined to set-up Ian Galvin who finished clinically.

“He showed tremendous composure, but, look Ian's an assassin,” said O’Connor. “He's been showing that form all year in training and ultimately we challenged him all week, that you need to deliver on the promise you've been shown in training. He was calmness personified with the finish.”

This victory was by some distance Clare’s most significant since O’Connor and Donal Moloney took charge of the team, and O’Connor admitted their managerial future was on the line coming into the game.

“Of course it was,” said O’Connor. “Look it we've a two-year contract. You're judged, it's an absolute dog eat dog, inter-county environment.

“All we've done is won a game. I don't even know if we're in the last three...I don't know that…if you don't feel pressure in this job, then you're not doing it right because there is phenomenal expectation from the Clare supporters and ourselves and we deliberately put pressure on the players and ourselves.

“That's the real beauty of today, when it really mattered, we showed our character and we delivered on the ability that we know is deep within this team on a regular basis.

“Basically what we've been doing for the past six months is, we've been actually asking these guys why they're doing this. The players have gone away and reflected what it means to play for Clare.

“But, ultimately this is a player driven group. They're an extremely driven, proud group of players.

“The management team all we do is facilitate exactly what it is the players require. But ultimately these guys will review and reflect tonight and they will be none more critical on these guys than their own performance today.”