Caution the order of the afternoon as June date with destiny awaits

Nicky English has been here before. Won a league in his first year in the job. Meant very little then. Means very little now. He leans back against the wall and says just what you suppose he'd say.

"Lads. It's no different to what you would expect to be honest, Clare created more goal chances. We took ours. Here we go for June 3rd."

Five minutes later, Cyril Lyons pulls on his trousers, straightens himself up, and eyes the tapes. "What did Nicky say lads? That June 3rd is the defining day? We all know that. What else can we say? Brendan Cummins made some outstanding saves. Say what you like, but he made them and Tipp won."

Tipp won, but muted and sober was the aftermath. Their dressing-room was besieged by a few teenyboppers looking for Mark O'Leary's jersey and Larry Corbett's smile, but there was an absence of backslapping and whooping. Whatever happened to eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we have the championship?

"Today would be very hollow if we lost on June 3rd," said English. "Hopefully our players and supporters are smart enough to realise that Clare are far from a finished team.

"They showed a lot of what they are about today. They didn't hit a few 21-yard frees, they had some bad wides and missed four or five goals.

"We more or less converted everything we had. Hold on to your seats for the third of June is what I'd say."

Not that winning was a cause for despondency. Tipperary were struggling with some injuries yesterday, but for their young forward lines it was a test worth enduring. English saw the benefit of the exercise.

"I thought they were a bit nervous early on, but they'll have to cope with more of the same and tougher on the 3rd of June.

"I think the pace will be up further again and hopefully we can go up a notch. Both teams are fit, but we'll go up again.

"At the end of the day the Clare guys are more experienced than our guys are and a league medal is more valuable to Eoin Kelly and Larry Corbett than it is to Jamesie O'Connor or Brian Lohan."

So what, if anything, was learned?

"It all depends on injuries and that. If everyone is fit it will be a very difficult job but that's the way it should be. Third of June will be back to the wall, a serious game. Some of our guys got a taste of what that will be like today. That's useful."

And English scrolls through a litany of the injuries his squad is carrying. You can tell this league win won't live in his head beyond the morning.

For young Corbett the pleasure might take a little longer to fade. When your 18 and making it, the good days come with no context. He talks like a cagey veteran, though. Nothing loose. Four lucky points from play.

"There was pressure on us alright. Personally, I just got a few lucky breaks and got a few handy scores there today, but it was a tough day."

Anything learned for June 3rd then?

"We'll have to wait and see." Down the corridor, Clare have bolted for the sunshine outside. The management team remains. No weeping, wailing or gnashing of teeth.

"No, I'm not heartbroken," says Cyril Lyons, "when we were dominant we had the chances and we didn't take them. Goals when they come are great and when you don't take the chances the team feels it and the crowd feels it.

"You know you'll pay. I was surprised at how many goal chances we had, maybe we should have gone eight or nine points up on the basis of our play in the first 25 minutes, but we had a three-point lead and it got wiped out. That was the difference. When they were dominant they got scores."

And how was it out there. Tipp, the winners, have been busy assuring us that the intensity will be ratcheted up on June 3rd. Clare must make the opposite argument. This is as hot as it gets.

"This stuff about fellas not trying doesn't apply," says Lyons. "Fine day, big crowd, if a player says he was holding back, it's rubbish.

"Why train in January, February and March to hold it all in for one day maybe. Players want to play well all summer."

And lessons? What was being taken away?

"Well, it was our first 70minute game really. Our last three league games were over after 45 minutes or so and we were throwing on players.

"Today, for the first time, we played hard for 70 minutes. They stood up to it well and will have to do better the next day."