Boss John in pain at the stress
free-taking competition 7-6 to progress to the semi-final, with sub Colin Ryan hitting the winning free.
Kiely said: “Everybody contributed really well. We used the bench to the last. We had no sub left.
“It was a crazy event and it’ll take us a few hours to absorb it now.
“I’ve a pain across my shoulders from the stress of it. It was a great game, great battles up and down the field. It ebbed and flowed.
“It took us back years since we had battles like that but for the time of year in fairness to the pitch it held up.
“It’s drama but not the drama that you want. We all want to see the game finished in a normal way but there was no separating them today.”
Clare joint-boss Gerry O’connor admits he would have preferred a replay.
He said: “I suppose if it had been 6-5 in our favour we’d probably think it’s a great system but look, it’s a system that’s in place we’ve just got to embrace it and go with it and I can see the logic and the merits in it but the feeling deep down is that we left it behind us.
“If I’m being honest, I would have much rathered we went back to Ennis next Sunday for a replay.
“I understand the constraints because of the fact that they want to leave April free as well.”
Both men were supportive of the decision to postpone the game on Sunday and refix it for yesterday, saying none of their players had work issues.
Kiely added: “If you only take my own mother there, she’s 80 years of age. She loves to come to the matches, they can’t come in conditions like yesterday.”