Clare captain Tony Kelly says keeping their cool was the key to his team's All-Ireland under-21 success over Wexford.
The Banner claimed their third title in a row courtesy of a 2-20 to 3-11 victory in Semple Stadium.
At one stage in the second half the holders were eight points clear but the Leinster side hit back, firing in three goals.
However, Kelly says that his experienced side, with 10 of the 26-man panel going for their third U-21 medal, knew to stay focused.
The 2013 Senior Hurler of the Year told RTÉ Sport: “Wexford never died, they kept coming back and hitting us with goals but the most important thing from our point of view was we never hit the panic button.
"When Wexford got those two goals and brought themselves right back into the game, crucially for us we kept coming down and responding with a score.
“We knew it was going to be a tough game. The last two weeks the management had been preparing us for a stiff test and a battle, and that’s what we got.
"We needed [the experience]. We’d been tested similarly in [the Munster semi-final] with Tipperary down in Cusack Park. That game helped us here,” added Kelly, who scored seven of his side's tally.
