IN his 40th Munster Senior Hurling Championship fixture at the helm with Limerick, John Kiely masterminded Sunday’s historic final win over holders Cork at Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
“Exhausted, thank God it didn’t go to extra time,” the winning manager said on RTÉ’s Sunday Sport.
Kiely has now guided the Shannonsiders to an astonishing seven provincial titles in just eight seasons.
“It was a hugely intense game, nothing between the two teams, with or against the breeze. I’m really proud of the effort the lads put in. I thought they were relentless in their effort. The shots didn’t all get converted that we had, but we created enough of them,” he said.
“Regardless of your accuracy, if you create enough chances, you’re going to give yourself a chance. We were at our most accurate when it mattered most in the closing stretch.
“Peter Casey topped up with a couple of great scores when it counted, he really did show great composure, great accuracy, great nerve.
“We’ve worked so, so hard for the last eight months. We’ve been here on nights and days when it hasn’t gone for us. Today we had a massive opportunity and we grabbed it with both hands when it mattered most in that last seven minutes.”
He also acknowledged the huge challenge thrown down by the runners-up.
“Cork are just an incredibly talented bunch of players,” he said.
“They’ve been in the last two All-Irelands, the last two Munster finals, and they put you to the pin of your collar every single day to try and beat them. You have to be absolutely at your best, so congrats to them on their performance. It wasn’t enough today, but it was unbelievably tough out there.”
Kiely is joined in management by the ever-present Paul Kinnerk and Alan Cunningham, John Flavin and Liam Cronin, along with a stellar backroom team that includes key figures such as sports psychologist Caroline Currid and Seán O’Donnell, lead performance analyst.
Clare, Dublin, or Offaly are next opponents for Limerick in an All-Ireland semi-final at the start of July at Croke Park.