St. Gall's wing back Sean Kelly conceded that it would have been very difficult for the Milltown men to come back had they lost another All-Ireland club football final.

"We lost in 2006, but we knew we had the ability to win one and we didn't want to let our careers go by and look back and think: 'We never got to the pinnacle'," he said after yesterday's win over Kilmurry-Ibrickane.

"For people to say 'we were the best team in Ireland but never showed it' was a motivation. We played okay today, but we won the match which is the most important thing.

"The defeat in '06 probably affected me more than I actually realised for a few years afterwards because you put so much into it, emotionally and physically.

"It did take a bit out of me. Maybe I wasn't enjoying my football as much after losing in 2006. But the monkey's off the back now." Tweet

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