Brian Cody refused to be drawn on the performance of referee Colm Lyons after Kilkenny’s one-point loss to Galway.
For the first time in Cody 20-year reign, Kilkenny had two players sent off in a Championship match while the home support at Nowlan Park was up in arms at several other decisions, particularly the fact that little over four minutes of injury time was played, as was announced, despite a large chunk of that time being taken up by a lengthy stoppage.
“The fact that ye’re saying it tells the whole story,” Cody told the assembled media with regard to the time-keeping issue. “I wasn’t following it as closely as that so I think you’ve answered your own question.”
Cody swatted away questions on other elements of Lyons’s performance.
“Obviously it’s not me you should be asking those questions of. You mention the time-keeping, you’re confused with that, you’re confused with the cards. I’m equally as confused.
“I’m not going to comment on referees. It’s ridiculous that every question so far has been almost about the referee so you better go down and ask himself.”
Reflecting on Kilkenny’s first home defeat in the Championship in 70 years, Cody said: “We were playing a very, very good team, huge experience, great quality and we lost by just one point to them.
“We played a fair bit of the game a man down. Our lads fought to the bitter end - that’s all you can look for from a team. Great credit to them.”
Micheal Donoghue will be without John Hanbury for next Saturday’s game with Dublin after he received a straight red card.
He said: “I think it was a highly competitive game. There was nothing malicious in it… in a lot of them and maybe they’re just trying to stick to the letter of the law too much on it.”
Donoghue said that he hopes Conor Cooney (shoulder) will be “back on the pitch” this week, while he didn’t rule out the possibility of Joe Canning (groin) returning next Saturday.
“He is back in the collective training last week. He has hit all his markers. He is coming good. We will see how he goes.”
Yesterday’s display was Galway’s best of the year so far though Donoghue said he never doubted his players.
“Outside of the group there are a lot of questions being asked, more than being asked internally. We know where we are at and the level we want to get to; every member of the panel.
“It is just building blocks for us. We are not going to get carried away. Today was a big win, an important win, but it is game three for us.”
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