Vincent's boss pays tribute to Kelly

Mickey Whelan was on the St. Vincent's team that captured the All-Ireland club title back in 1976, and Whelan played a big role today as manager of the Vincent's outfit that captured their second All-Ireland crown.

Whelan dedicated the 1-11 to 0-13 triumph over Nemo Rangers of Cork to Peter Kelly, father of Vincent's wing-back Pat, who died just hours before the game.

‘It had to be extremely difficult but Pat Kelly is Pat Kelly and he turned two games, two vital games for us during the year,’ Whelan said of the former Mayo player.

‘He turned them and also brought a brilliant performance throughout most games and they were his father's wishes that he play the game today.

‘He was down with him two or three times last week and Friday came back to Dublin after seeing his father.

‘It's just a very difficult occasion but it is a marvellous way to celebrate his father's death.’

The Vincent's manager was happy with his side's display in the Croke Park decider as they dug deep to fight off a determined second half comeback from Nemo.

‘To win an All-Ireland final it doesn't matter how it is achieved. There is a lot of character that has to go into it and a lot of pressure.

‘People have to perform at the battlefront, at the cutting edge, and they did it when it was required. They came under pressure.

‘Nemo were a brilliant team, a very athletic team and they were always going to have their period of supremacy, but they just didn't get the scores and that's because we didn't lie down – it's as simple as that,’ he added.

‘We came back then at a vital stage and got a three-point cushion coming into the last couple of minutes and we held on.’

Whelan's Nemo counterpart Ephie Fitzgerald was frustrated with Cavan referee Joe McQuillan, who played just a minute of injury-time in what was a nail-biting finish.

‘Look at the amount of substitutes and look at the amount of injuries,’ Fitzgerald argued.

‘I can't say too much here about the referee now but I'm absolutely disgusted personally. And that's not taking away from Vincent's.

‘I don't like talking about referees but I think it was for everybody to see today in terms of the amount of frees that were given against us.

‘I'd like to see the stats. I don't know what they are but at the end of the day we have lost the match.’

Fitzgerald felt that, as the game entered the final quarter, his side could have pushed ahead for victory but a crucial missed free from James Masters cost them in the end.

‘There was a free there and if James had put it over it would have levelled it. Vincent's are a quality side and they are going to attack and going to get scores.

‘Overall I'm very, very proud of my fellas and we couldn't have asked any more of them.’

An early injury to influential midfielder Peter Morgan unsettled Nemo, according to Fitzgerald.

‘We had the injury to Peter early on which probably knocked us off our stride a little bit. Once we settled down and got going, I thought it was a very good game of football, but we just came out that little bit short.

‘Congratulations to Vincent's, they are worthy champions but I think we would have been worthy champions as well. Playing one minute extra-time with what had gone on there was crazy.’

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