Cody - Cats second best to 'driven' Tipperary

Brian Cody admitted that his Kilkenny team were second best to a 'driven, spirited, genuine and full of hurling' Tipperary in the All-Ireland final.

The Cats were beaten 4-17 to 1-18 at Croke Park, with three goals from Lar Corbett and one from Shane McGrath eclipsing Richie Power's solitary goal for Kilkenny and bringing an end to the effort to win an unprecedented fifth title in a row.

Speaking to Brian Carthy after the game, Cody said: 'We have no excuses and no begrudgery in the slightest. No doubt about it, the better team won the All-Ireland final.'

Knee-injury victim Henry Shefflin's departure after little more than 10 minutes was seen as a turning point by some, but in Cody's opinion, it had no bearing on the game.

He said: 'I was very disappointed for Henry but it would be hypocritical of me to suggest that it had a bearing on the result. Michael Rice went in and had an excellent game.

'It didn't affect the way the game turned out at all. Obviously, Henry is Henry and everybody realises what he is capable of doing (but) Tipperary were the better team. They were driven, spirited, genuine, and full of hurling. That's the way they are and we didn't have the answer to that today.'

Kilkenny have dominated the game in recent years but Cody was quick to point out that in the year before embarking on their four-in-a-row run, Kilkenny were comprehensively beaten in an All-Ireland semi-final by Galway.

'We're privileged to have won what we have won. The hurling counties are there and on any given day any of us can beat the other. It's about getting things right on the day. Today (against Tipp) it was comprehensive.

'From our point of view, in 2005 we left Croke Park after leaking five goals to Galway (in the All-Ireland semi-final) and the future looked bleak but it turned out to be anything but bleak. We are leaving today having leaked four goals to Tipperary but the future is no less bleak or no more bleak than it was in 2005.

'Kilkenny hurling goes ahead, Tipperary hurling goes ahead, hurling goes ahead and thanks be to God for that.'