“Midleton were sharp early on in the second half, they were penetrating us, but Seamie (Harnedy) got a ball underneath the stand and slapped it over the bar and set us up again.”

Fergal Condon guided Imokilly to back-to-back Cork SHC successes.

“Our lads gave it their best shot. I’d love to say we could have won the game, but I can’t. The better team on the day won.”

Midleton coach Sean O’Brien had no excuses following their 10-point reversal.

“I was togging out with lads today that weren’t even born when I started out. Finals don’t come too often and we’re delighted to make our mark. It was touch and go there for a long time.”

Long-serving Clann na nGael player Johnny Dunning scored a goal off the bench as they threw a spanner in the works of St Brigid’s Roscommon SFC three in a row bid.

“I would question the officiating, which was poor at times. They got a lot of soft frees in my opinion, in the first half particularly and I thought they should have had two red cards as well for stuff that went on off the ball, but we got the two red cards.”

St Brigid’s boss Frankie Dolan wasn’t impressed with the performance of the man in the middle.

“Personally it feels as good as anything to me. I was conscious of the fact the club hadn’t got over the line for five or six years with a very talented group of players and some players have gone away. We have lost players where I think they got fed up getting beat. As a club we are very driven with a good support base and it is so important to them.”

Paddy O’Rourke outlined what Burren’s Down SFC final win over Kilcoo meant to him.

“We’d be disappointed we didn’t hold out but having said that, Pat’s equalising point could have been a goal.”

Harry Murphy and Rathnew were caught on the line by St Patrick’s in Wicklow.

“I was playing right half-forward, I just drifted in from the wing, the ball seemed to hang in the air forever and thankfully it broke into my path and I put my foot through it and it hit the roof of the net and turned out to be the difference in the end.”

Stuart Lowndes’ 55th minute goal sent Dunboyne on the road to victory over Summerhill in the Meath SFC decider.

“I think it definitely focused everyone a little bit more this year. I certainly know from talking to the players it wasn’t far from their minds. So I think the players themselves perhaps were a bit more focused around what it meant to play for their club and to do their little bit for Sean.”

Former Dunboyne chairman Sean Cox – who was the victim of an unprovoked attack outside Anfield back in April – was a source of inspiration for the players, according to the current incumbent Fergus McNulty.

“If you are looking at where we are in 2018, we are a long way from that. Wouldn’t that be lovely (winning an All-Ireland) but there isn’t much point in sitting here talking about that. My priority is to try and put a panel together and cracking on from there.”

New Kerry boss Peter Keane intends to roll up the sleeves in the coming months.

“Realistically, can they win an All-Ireland in 2019? I don’t think so. But they’ll be there or thereabouts.”

Offaly football manager John Maughan isn’t confident about his native county Mayo’s chances of ending their long wait for Sam Maguire Cup success next year.

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