Losing All-Ireland semi-finals is not something Brian Cody has had to deal with too often.
Today's loss was just his fourth semi defeat in 23 seasons in charge of Kilkenny, and first time losing at that stage in successive seasons.
That had seemed unlikely when Adrian Mullen rattled the net in injury-time to secure extra-time.
Kilkenny had devoured Wexford in an elongated Leinster semi and the same scenario seemed perfectly possible here but Cork came back out stronger to win by five points and advance to the All-Ireland final.
"It was a huge huge score for us to get," Cody said of Mullen's 75th-minute strike.
"It was one of those games where we had chances at different times in the game, they had chances as well, it kind of ebbed and flowed a fair bit.
"It obviously looked coming to the end of normal time that they were going to win it in normal time, but we scored a very good goal.
"It kept us in the game and it brought us to extra-time, which we did experience already this year obviously. But that's not enough, you still have to go out and win it on the pitch and that didn’t happen for us.
"Of course we could have won it. But the better team wins these matches, that's the way it works."
The Cats are never beaten.
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) August 8, 2021
Adrian Mullen buries the ball to the net with almost the last puck to take #kkvcork to extra-time
Highlights tonight on @rte2 and @rteplayerhttps://t.co/J3NwqtvxKW pic.twitter.com/FeVke91SVR
Cork got their own goal through Jack O'Connor in extra-time and, after spurning several goal chances, Kilkenny were unable to mount a second comeback.
"They played out extra-time very well, obviously," said Cody. "We started extra-time pretty well, as it went on then the goal was a huge score for them and they just had that breathing space and they just played it out very well after that.
"Everybody spoke about the Cork pace before the game, and of course they are full of pace, but they are also full of skill and application and everything else.
"A goal is a huge score and when they got that they had the confidence and the ability to move the ball around and pick some good scores."
Kilkenny's wait for a 37th All-Ireland title will now extend to at least seven years.
Disappointment aside, Cody was proud of the battling qualities the Cats yet again showed under his watch.
"They kept at it, they kept going, they fought until the bitter end.
"I'd be very very disappointed if it was ever any other way - that's what real sportspeople do and that's what our dressing-room is full of.
"Sport is sport, somebody always wins and somebody always loses. But you can lose badly or you can lose with a bit of respect and a bit of honour, and our lads did that today."
