Kelly: Battle-hardened Banner can retain title

Clare captain Tony Kelly thinks his team's experience will be crucial when they face Wexford in the Under-21 All-Ireland Hurling Championship final on Saturday.

Champions Clare were taken to extra-time by Tipperary in the Munster semi-final before sweeping Cork and Antrim aside to seal their place in the decider for a fourth time in six seasons.

"Ten of the 26 panel are going for three in-a-row. It's experience you can't buy," Kelly told RTÉ Sport.

"It really stood to us this year in Munster, when Tipp came down to Ennis we were really tested.

"The experience we've had playing with each other over the last number of years has really stood to us and we hope it will stand to us again on Saturday."

However, Clare co-manager Gerry O'Connor was keen to play down the 'three-in-a-row' aspect and just focus on Saturday as a stand-alone decider.

"We have a huge opportunity to get over the line and prove that we are the best team in Ireland this year. That's our sole focus," he said."

Wexford skipper Shane O'Gorman is bullish about his side's chances, as they seek to go all the way after atoning for last year's shock semi-final defeat to Antrim by beating Galway in the last four.

"At the start of the year our goal was to win the All-Ireland final. Just because it's Clare in the final now, we're not going to back down or change that," he said.

"They've an impressive team. They've some great players, some of the success they've had is huge.

"But we fully believe that we have as good a chance as anyone to beat them."

Wexford manager JJ Doyle echoed his captain's ambitions, saying: "There's no point in fooling ourselves. It's a very good Clare team and probably some of the best young hurlers that have ever played the game at this age group.

"But we can't look at it like that. We looking at it that we have a very good team ourselves.

"Our goal at the start of the year wasn't to get to an All-Ireland final, it was to win an All-Ireland final, and that's still very much the same."

Clare-Wexford U21 Hurling Final

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