Cratloe manager Joe McGrath refused to use his players' recent gruelling schedule as an excuse for their Munster club SHC final loss to Kilmallock.

The Clare hurling and football champions lost a classic encounter at the Gaelic Grounds after extra-time - seven days after they had also lost their Munster club SFC semi-final to The Nire after 80-plus minutes.

"The extra-time, it was our second session of extra-time in the space of seven days, so that was always going to be difficult, but no excuses and no regrets," McGrath said in the Irish Examiner.

"The way the match was going, anything could have happened at any time, both teams were creating chances at both ends of the field, but fair play to Kilmallock for coming up with the win. They're magnificent champions and I hope they go on and do themselves justice."

McGrath praised his leg-weary players for battling to the bitter end.

"These guys have tremendous character. The legs might have been getting heavy and tired but there's one thing you can't fault our guys for, and that's heart.

"The couple of extra matches in the last couple of weeks began to tell in extra-time, but as I said, no excuses and no regrets.

"On 58 minutes we were two ahead, and when you're in a great situation like that, you're confident, but fair play to Kilmallock, they pulled two points back on us. No regrets, and no regrets for the year, which was absolutely fantastic for us.

"We won two county championships and came up just short today by a few points against a very good Kilmallock team."

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