"The doctor knew I wanted to play. He told me to see how it goes, and see how I feel by the end of the week. I did nothing all week only sit on my couch, just rested up. I wasn't working."

An appendix operation didn't stop Corofin's goal scoring hero Micheál Lundy.

"It was a bit like the last day against St Brigid's again. Once a team gets momentum those tight calls go to them. We were happy with the full-time whistle really."

Kevin O'Brien's Corofin charges came good in extra-time.

"I felt maybe the winning and losing of the game was in the first period of extra-time. We tried to get fresh legs on the pitch, but maybe it got away from us there."

Castlebar Mitchels' changes didn't have the desired effect, according to joint-manger Declan O'Reilly.

"There wasn't much chat about it, but it put ourselves under a wee bit of pressure as the hurlers and the camogs had done it, so it was good to get over the line and it was a good enjoyable game of football."

Slaughtneil completed the Ulster treble for the second year in-a-row and assistant manager John Joe Kearney admitted the pressure was on the footballers going into their final against Cavan Gaels.

"There was a dodgy period in the second half when they brought it down to two and they missed a free but we kept them at two points. At the end there was a danger they'd get a goal but even if they did we still had the cushion, but it was a long five minutes!"

The final whistle was music to the ears of Nemo Rangers manager Larry Kavanagh.

"In fairness to Nemo, they have a good game-plan, good players and they stuck to it. We just didn't live with it."

The better on the day won - that was Dr Croke's selector Harry O'Neill's take on the Munster decider.

"I think it's inevitable that next year he will be called into the fold. As the season has gone on and the matches have got bigger, his form has come good. I have no doubt that he will be approached (by the Kildare management) but I hope it won't be until March 18."

Moorefield manager Ross Glavin was fulsome in his praise of Eanna O'Connor after his eight-point haul against Rathnew.

"They are a good team, well coached and well able to take on whatever is put in front of them. We're gutted to lose but couldn't have any complaints."

Glavin's Rathnew counterpart Harry Murphy was magnanimous in defeat.

"That resilience - you could see it in the last few attacks, you'd Paul Sharry back on his own goal-line with (John) Heslin. Those lads drive the whole thing on and deserve to be in this Leinster final."

Luke Dempsey guided St Loman's to a 0-13 to 1-8 Leinster Club SFC semi-final win over Simonstown and he will renew acquaintances with his former Moorefield charges in the decider.

"We missed a lot at the end of the first half, poor shot selection, and Loman's got back into it. Fair play, we have no complaints."

Colm O'Rourke's Simonstown let a seven-point lead slip against the Westmeath champions.

"The experience of being in that position against Mullinalaghta stood to us. We didn't train for an event like that, but it just unfolded. And I suppose the quality and character of any team is to be able to adapt to a particular situation."

Lake County star John Heslin sent over six points (five frees) at TEG Cusack Park.

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