His selector Ken Ralph squirted water the manager’s way in the hope of him thawing his cool demeanour.

A second burst was needed before the sides of his lips lifted and gave way to his friend’s bit of fun and the deserved applause. All-Ireland winning full-back turned manager, Lohan had returned Clare to the promised land.

It wouldn’t be outlandish to think the fans, Ralph and Kelly were trying to rouse him from a dreamlike state. Was this actually happening? After all, Clare had fallen several times in his command. Only this year did silverware come in the form of a Division 1 title but their ability to reset has been extraordinary.

The resilience, the defiance he had demonstrated as a player have been transferred to this group. Tony Kelly’s season could have petered away after the Munster final but he saved his best until the second half of the All-Ireland semi-final and this extraordinary showing, better than either of his final performances 11 years ago.

As younger men like the extraordinary Shane O’Donnell and brilliant Mark Rodgers understandably retired with cramp, there was 35-year-old John Conlon leading the charge in extra-time. If Clare were going to fall down, it wasn’t going to be because of a lack of effort.

Rarely has anything come easy for Clare and this final was no exception. They should have been far beyond Cork long before extra-time based on general play but required pluck and no small measure of fortune to stave them off.

While having his jersey pulled by Conor Leen, Robbie O’Flynn had a late chance to force a replay but his shot sailed wide. That was of at least three harsh calls made against Cork but to send this tie into an August 3 replay would have been lucky in itself.

O’Flynn also had a speculative strike kept out by Eibhear Quilligan early in the second half of extra-time. The let-off drove Clare on and they sent over the next four points, Kelly, Aidan McCarthy and Shane Meehan splitting the posts to go three up. Patrick Horgan claimed a couple of late frees to set up another tense conclusion but O’Flynn could not make a great catch count.

As was the case at the end of normal time, the teams couldn’t be divided at the turnaround in normal time, Clare 3-25 Cork 1-31. Shane Kingston scored twice for Cork, first cancelling out Ian Galvin’s opener and then following a Mark Coleman score to put his side a point ahead midway through it.

Ciarán Joyce, terrific in the additional period, kept out a David Fitzgerald hit after Kelly squared the ball having had his first strike on goal kept out by Patrick Collins.

Clare were outstanding in the second quarter of normal time and began the second half in a similar vein. Mark Rodgers broke from a puck-out and had the audacity to take on a scrambling Cork defence and fire to the net.

Led by O’Mahony, Cork pulled themselves together to level matters in the 47th minute. Seamus Harnedy had a goal chance come off a Clare back but a wide was awarded instead of a 65.

As Peter Duggan stormed into the game, Clare were the better side throughout the second period of normal time but struck seven wides and a post, Fitzgerald guilty for four of them. A goal of genius from Kelly came in the 52nd minute to send Clare three clear but they never seemed to fully translate their dominance on the scoreboard.

Three Cork points in a row were followed by a string of three Clare scores up to the hour mark. There was still three between them when David McInerney, already on a yellow for an early second half incident which also saw Alan Connolly booked, brought down O’Flynn as a goal chance loomed. However, Johnny Murphy chose to award a free instead, which Horgan converted.

Mark Coleman cut the difference and Horgan followed it with a free only for a pirouetting Kelly to send over an incredible point as he was falling. Jack O’Connor sent the ball badly wide but there was enough time for Horgan to send the game into additional periods after Tommy O’Connell was illegitimately upended. Clare 3-21 Cork 1-27.

Cork had shot into a three-point to no score lead inside the first four minutes. O’Mahony featured prominently in the initial exchanges, scoring the first point inside the opening minute then involved in the build-up for Harnedy’s a matter of seconds later.

Clare came tearing with three of their own scores as they stood off Cork’s long-range puck-outs that were holding up against the wind and plundered. Diarmuid Ryan sent over a couple from long range.

Cork’s retaliation was strong, 1-4 without reply. Brian Hayes, Horgan (free), Harnedy and Shane Barrett produced points prior to Robert Downey’s virtuoso goal in the 12th minute.

Catching the ball above Duggan inside his own half, Downey left his marker trailing and the Clare cover opened for him as they anticipated he would lay it off.

It wasn’t until the 15th minute that Cork registered their first wide via Alan Connolly and their second came less than two minutes later when Horgan missed a relatively easy free for a deadball merchant of his quality.

The Cork crowd’s reaction was noticeably disappointed with the brace of wides and Clare capitalised with a goal in the 17th minute. Referee Murphy allowed good advantage for a fouled Shane O’Donnell to lay off to Aidan McCarthy to belt the ball past Patrick Collins.

Bringing his team back into the game almost single-handedly O’Donnell sent over a quick couple of points and Clare were only two behind. A Fitzgerald point followed and Clare were coursing into a second quarter that they would win by three points.

All three of Cork’s inside full-back line had to intervene to deny goal-scoring opportunities in the first half but Clare’s momentum did not yield. The next four scores was all theirs, a slick move involving O’Donnell and Cathal Malone providing McCarthy with a point opportunity to level the game.

They went ahead in the 32nd minute through David Reidy. Darragh Fitzgibbon’s additional time score ensured the teams went into the tunnel as they emerged from it level, 1-12 apiece. The third of 15 times they couldn’t be split.

That might suggest another day was just but Clare weren’t going to leave another one behind them.

Scorers for Clare: A. McCarthy (1-7, 0-3 frees, 1 65), T. Kelly (1-4); M. Rodgers (1-3); D. Fitzgerald, D. Ryan (0-3 each); S. O’Donnell, D. Reidy, P. Duggan (1 sideline) (0-2 each); R. Taylor, I. Galvin, S. Meehan (0-1 each).

Scorers for Cork: P. Horgan (0-12, 10 frees); S. Harnedy (0-4); T. O’Mahony, M. Coleman (0-3 each); R. Downey (1-0); B. Hayes, S. Barrett, D. Fitzgibbon, S. Kingston (0-2 each); A. Connolly, E. Downey, C. Joyce, R. O’Flynn (0-1 each).

CLARE: E. Quilligan; A. Hogan, C. Cleary, C. Leen; D. Ryan, J. Conlon (c), D. McInerney; T. Kelly, C. Malone; P. Duggan, S. O’Donnell, D. Fitzgerald; Mark Rodgers, A. McCarthy, D. Reidy.

Subs for Clare: D. Lohan for C. Malone (temp, 37-38); R. Taylor for A. McCarthy (55); I. Galvin for D. Reidy (59); A. Shanagher for P. Duggan (66); D. Lohan for C. Cleary (inj, 70+1); R. Mounsey for M. Rodgers (inj, 70+3); C. Galvin for D. Ryan; S. Meehan for S. O’Donnell (inj) (both 80).

CORK: P. Collins; N. O’Leary, E. Downey, S. O’Donoghue (c); M. Coleman, C. Joyce, R. Downey; T. O’Mahony, D. Fitzgibbon; D. Dalton, S. Barrett, S. Harnedy; P. Horgan, B. Hayes, A. Connolly.

Subs for Cork: S. Kingston for B. Hayes (temp, 43-47); E. Twomey for D. Dalton (49); J. O’Connor for A. Connolly (64); S. Kingston for S. Barrett (66); R. O’Flynn for S. Harnedy (68); T. O’Connell for R. Downey (inj 70+4); G. Millerick for S. O’Donoghue (inj 79); L. Meade for T. O’Mahony (85); S. Morey for C. Malone (87).

Referee: J. Murphy (Limerick).