'Patience is a virtue' and that mantra has certainly worked out for Clare Senior Hurling goalkeeper Patrick Kelly who has worked hard to nail down the Number 1 jersey. He turns 27 next week, and is hoping to bag an All-Ireland medal, in only in his second Championship campaign starting between the posts with the Banner County.

Kelly will make his eleventh Senior SHC appearance this weekend - his debut came in Clare's Munster Championship semi-final defeat to Waterford last Summer, but it's six years since the Inagh/Kilnamona clubman first got involved in the Clare Senior setup as a sub goalkeeper.

It can be a long and lonely road at times as the 'Number 16', but Kelly says patience and hard work pays off in the end.

"I've been on the panel since 2008, and I suppose like every goalkeeper you have to bide your time," he said.

"You see that with the soccer goalies as well and you have to be patient. I've been through a few managers, but to be honest with Davy - Davy, Louis (Mulqueen) and the boys gave me my chance when I came in and look I've taken it so far and I have done ok so far. "It's all about the next game to be honest as a goalie. You are just concentrating on the next game and you are only as good as your last game!"

While for many the progression through underage ranks to Senior is a given, Kelly didn't feature for Clare at Minor level, and only has one Under 21 appearance under his belt, scoring a point as the keeper in a 2-14 to 1-11 Munster semi-final loss to Cork in 2007.

Players such as current Senior's, Conor Cooney, Colin Ryan and Jonathan Clancy were also a part of the Clare setup that day.

"It was disappointing (not to play Minor), but I had a good campaign with St. Flannan's in the Harty Cup and I think that's not far off of Minor level," Kelly said. "That really helped me and my development. Then I got on the Under 21's and was brought into the Senior panel in 2008 as a 21/22-year old.

"The managers that were there, I learned a lot from them as well and I always knew that Davy was probably going to get his chance at managing the Senior team. He would always say that he was going to give me a crack at it so. I've probably taken the opportunity so far, but look you have to see how it goes over the next few games."

Kelly says the standard of hurling in Clare is high and that great work has been done through underage development in order to ensure that the team is within 70 minutes of an All-Ireland Senior title.

"A lot of work has been done at underage levels in Development Squads and that. They have churned out these great young players. They are probably the backbone of the team. I think most of them were either 21's in 2009 or from last year. I think myself, Brendan Bugler and Pat Donnellan were the three older ones on the team. The 12 out of the 15 that started the last day are the backbone of the team to be honest. They let off the shackles when they are playing to be honest."

Clare picked up their second All-Ireland Under 21 title inside 12 months a fortnight ago, and Kelly says the dynamic of having a successful group of players returning to the Senior squad, offers a renewed hunger and enthusiasm.

"Yeah there definitely is, but sure that's them. Davy has been telling those lads all year to play with a freedom and to express themselves on the field. I think they do that in training. There are other lads as well that are driving the thing on in training. It's not only the younger lads, the guys who aren't even making the 26 (match day squad) - they are all chomping at the bit. You see the subs that come on each day, they will always make sure to have a big impact on the game as well."

The road to reach an All-Ireland Senior decider has been a long one for Clare, but after the Munster semi-final loss to Cork, Kelly says the panel were quick to refocus their minds.

"The Monday after the Cork game down in Limerick we had a meeting down in Davy's house and we addressed different issues. Lads were honest and lads didn't shirk away from responsibility after the game. We just felt that we just needed to get back on the road.

"Against Laois and Wexford we showed great character. We put Laois to the sword and against Galway we upped it again and of course against Limerick we upped it again. I think, look after that meeting it was very open and we have progressed nearly every game since then."

Treating every game as it comes and not looking too far ahead has been Clare's mantra all year and it is certainly paying off.

"I think that's the way you have to do it," Kelly says. "You have to take every game on its merit, be it from the first, and the Waterford Crystal games to the league games, you don't jump the gun at any game. I think we have probably improved at every game as well.

"As a young team you are getting a bit more confidence with every game as well. Look the last day will bring us on a bit again and hopefully we'll be able to raise our game another 10 percent that might get us over the line the next day."

One of the key factors in the drawn All-Ireland final was the performance of both goalkeepers, with Cork custodian Anthony Nash also keeping Kelly busy from placed balls, as well as being a shot-stopper.

The two soldiered together earlier this year, with Kelly as sub keeper as Munster claimed the M. Donnelly Interprovincial Championship.

Kelly says it was some battle between the pair in Croke Park, and it shows the changing face of the game that the number on your back doesn't mean you are stuck to the role that it would have brought traditionally.

"I suppose there was a fierce battle alright, I thought he was coming up and down every five minutes it seemed at one stage. But in fairness that's his game. He is a serious dead-ball specialist, either from long-range frees or short-range frees.

"Look it's probably gone from the traditional 15-on-15. There's a lot of new things coming into play. You wouldn't have seen goalies doing that 10 years ago, or you wouldn't have seen these tactics drawn up that they are all talking about now. But look, the game has moved on it has changed a lot."

From the depths of the Waterford Crystal Cup at the start of the year, through the Allianz League, Munster Championship and onto the All-Ireland Series; Clare and Cork have met in every competition to date this year.

Little isn't known in each camp about their respective opponents and Kelly says that he doesn't expect much to separate the sides this weekend.

"This is our sixth competitive meeting this year. Look they'll fancy beating us, we'll fancy beating them. We won't fear them, they won't fear us. It's going to come down to something very small, the break of a ball; a marginal call by the referee? But look all I can tell you is that we are going to give it our best shot for 70 or 75 minutes, and if it is good enough, it is good enough, and if it's not we are just going to go back to the drawing board for next year.

"The last day they ran at us and they created space, they created overlaps and they ran at us and they got goals. They are going to try and do that the next day. Look we have to be ready for that, we are going to work very hard in training. Well we'll see how it goes on the day of the game." Tweet

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