Up there with the best wins for Kelly

 

By Shane Brophy

 

Johnny Kelly has enjoyed a lot of success in his managerial career but last Sunday’s Munster senior club success with Borris-Ileigh is right up there.

“That’s up there with winning our first All Ireland with Portumna and that’s a fact,” said the Portumna native.

“It’s just brilliant and I am just delighted for the players, from where they have come from in the last few years. They have given absolutely everything to this.

“We were not going to be beaten today and we weren’t going to be beaten all year. That’s not being bullish or arrogant, that’s our mindset.”

There was no element of panic at half time despite the team trailing by three points to a Ballygunner side that looked to have taken control but Kelly always sensed Sunday was going to be special.

“They were raging hot favourites. We were 4/1 outsiders and that suggests you’d be ten points down at half time and go onto be beaten by fifteen or twenty but we never believed that. We have our way of playing and we stuck to that.

“It doesn’t matter, be it wet or dry, this is a game we’ll play on any conditions or on any pitch. Wherever it takes us, it’s about the collective and everyone pushing on from there.

“When I heard the crowd rising to that (Brendan) score and the chant Borris, Borris, Borris, we knew we were going to have something special here. We always knew that.”

 

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