Henry Shefflin was happy that his team confirmed their Division 1A Allianz Hurling League status for 2025 but wondered if his players received enough protection from officials after Galway finished with 12 men in their victory against Dublin.
The Tribesmen led at the break but found themselves behind with 20 minutes to go. From there however, they outscored the Dubs by 0-10 to 0-01 to win comfortably in the end at Pearse Stadium.
Three Galway men would see the line in the last 25 minutes as the plentiful supply of cards handed out by referee Johnny Murphy eventually told, with Jack Grealish receiving two yellows.
He was joined for an early shower by Conor Whelan and Daithí Burke, who were both shown straight reds, as well as Dublin's Ronan Hayes.
Ultimately though, Shefflin was happy with the result as his side showed some character in the last quarter of an hour.
"We came today to confirm status for Division 1A next year, that was achieved," he said on RTÉ's Sunday Sport.
"To give us an opportunity of playing the All-Ireland champions next week [with] a place for the semi-finals up for grabs - that was achieved.
"You're always wondering, when teams are tested and things are thrown at you - they're usually goals or points - you're interested to see how you're going to respond. With the setbacks and sendings off, I felt our team managed it very well.
"There was great leadership shown throughout the group. The players, at that stage, take over and I thought they took over well and managed the game.
"I thought there was no flow to the game and unfortunately people will be talking about the referee's performance, the sendings off and not penalties.
"The best of referees we just don't talk about them, we don't really see them. Unfortunately there was a lot of incidents today [where] the crowd, on both sides, were wondering what way the decision was going to go."
On the cards Shefflin called Grealish "unlucky" while acknowledging that Burke was "a bit late" with the challenge that led to his red.
On Whelan's dismissal, Shefflin admitted he hadn't seen it, before adding: "I know him as a very abrasive player when the ball is around him. He takes a lot of punishment
"Sometimes that punishment that goes on 45 or 50 minutes - I've been in that position myself - you do react. I would ask was there protection in advance of that.
"When I watch it back I'll probably be saying maybe [it was fair]."
Shefflin said that a decision about a full return for Johnny Glynn, who last played for Galway in 2019 but was reported to have been training with the panel during the week, will be made when he returns from the United States.
"He's not on the panel, as of yet, but it's something we're going to review. He'll be back in a couple of weeks' time to do another week [with us].
"At that stage he'll know, and we'll know, whether he can contribute for the season ahead."
Opposite number Michael Donoghue was left frustrated with his side battling well for 50 minutes, before falling away and going over 20 minutes without a score.
"Ultimately that was the achilles' heel for the last 20 minutes. [We] put ourselves in good positions to get the scores and the way the game was going, we needed to be able to tag over three or four of those to stay in contention.
"We didn't and the opposite was when Galway got those opportunities they nailed them and that's what won them the match."
