Brian Cody said he didn’t know the missed opportunity from Tipperary’s John O’Dwyer was the last puck of the game as the All-Ireland Hurling Championship final ended in a draw at Croke Park.
Hawk-Eye was used to show O’Dwyer’s free went inches wide of the post as the game finished in a 1-28 to 3-22 draw.
The opportunity came in the final seconds of added time and meant there was no time for any more play.
Cody told RTÉ Sport: “It was a serious game. It was impossible to know what was going to happen. They pulled away a bit at the end of the first half. We came back great.
“We got a great start to the second half and played some really good hurling. They came back and had the last puck of the ball. That went to Hawk-Eye and that was the way it went.
“I didn't realise it was the last puck of the game to be honest. I probably thought he would score it to be honest and he almost did.”
Cody added that he never felt assured of the outcome and expects another tight encounter in the replay on 27 September
He said: "It's obvious to anyone that has been following the teams. It's more than likely going to be that way the next day too. It's amazing to think that for three years in a row the All-Ireland final has been a draw but that is the way has gone.
"Six points is not a big lead in hurling, really. You have to try to grab the initiative back. The lads came back into very, very well. It is how the game went.
“We took control and they took control. Scores were coming thick and fast. I'm sure for those people that were able to sit back, relax and watch it that it was an excellent game.
"You never think it's your day. You keep going until the final whistle and you don't think about the score or the time. You just want to know what is happening to the next ball. There was some outstanding performances, battles and it was just a great game I suppose.
“It's like leaving here after an All-Ireland semi-final. You've got three weeks to prepare for an All-Ireland final and that is where we are at now. Obviously, we'll recover for the week now and all the rest of it. That was a huge game.
“Physically it took a lot out of the players. We just have to recover. There won't be a lot of training done in the meantime but we have to get set for it and it will arrive.”
