ANTHONY CUNNINGHAM WITNESSED his team come up well short against Kilkenny in the All-Ireland final replay but doesn’t believe the 11-point losing margin tells the whole story.
Galway found the back of the net three times yesterday but were outscored in what was a dominant display from the Cats, who pulled away in the second half having gone into the break four points ahead.
When asked if the scoreline reflected the game, Cunningham replied: “It doesn’t really. At that stage of the match we were well on top and it see-sawed a bit in the first half as well.
“Even though we were four points down at half-time we thought we were well in it and had played very well in the first half but you need to get the breaks probably the best team to ever come out of Kilkenny.
“We drove on there in the first 10 minutes of the second half but the few chances then that we could have got went a-begging and that was hard-luck, particularly the one he blew up for the free.
You need to get all those chances but the best team won and we’ve no complaints.”
On 44 minutes, Cyril Donnellan thought he had scored a third Galway goal but play was called back for a foul they they instead were awarded a free. It began what was a key period in the game as Joe Canning saw his strike come back off the post before Donnellan received a red card for lashing out.
“Cyril, why he stopped it up, that’s the referees call but we were very, very unfortunate not to have got the call at that period because we felt we were on top at the time and small things win matches.
“It was a tremendous shot by Joe, it came off the foot off the post and out the field. It was a hard match but I don’t’ think it (Donnellan’s sending off) was in any way dirty and maybe he was unfortunate as he was our top forward there in the first half. He’d a great chance of a goal before half-time.
“We fought tremendously hard and we’re extremely proud of our players.”
Goalkeeper James Skehill was picked to start despite still feeling the pain of a shoulder injury he had sustained last Friday but while he had to be replaced at half-time, Cunningham says he has no regrets about that decision.
“I don’t think so. It was expertly dealt with by our medical team on Friday night. He was unfortunate to have fallen awkwardly on it and it was a partial dislocation but we had tremendous medical back-up.
“I couldn’t speak highly enough of our physio Gerry Reilly, our doctor Dan Murphy and the help we got from the Galway surgeons – we were in an excellent place. It wasn’t over-unsettling. He did tremendously well to get a first half and got a knock on it again when he fell on it but James will be back, there’s no doubt about that.
“He gave us a tremendous year this year and probably needs a small bit of surgery now on the many knocks he’s got but no. And Fergal pulled off some great saves in the second half as well so we’ve two excellent goalies as well as Colm Calnan who came in at short notice as well.”
The Tribesman surprised many this year by winning a Leinster title, reaching the All-Ireland final and holding Kilkenny to a draw the first time around. In Cunningham’s first season in charge, he has t them turned them into the second best team in the country and is already looking ahead positively.
The plan will be to kick on. There’s always improvement for any player and we will kick on and work tirelessly for that. We’ve come so far this year, in such a short space of time.
“You can’t train for the experience of finals but our hurling has come on so strong.
“And Henry Shefflin winning his ninth medal. What tremendous players. Eoin Larkin, Richie Power. Their defenders, Tommy Walsh, Brian Hogan, JJ. I mean they’re idols in our books, and anyone that plays hurling, they’re the guys at the very top.
“I suppose it’s one piece of consolation to be the second best team in Ireland, to this super team. But we’ll stay knocking on the door. We beat them in a Leinster final this year. We’ll want to beat them in an All-Ireland next year, that’ll be the aim.”
