Cunningham: Kilkenny games 'will stand to us' against Tipperary

After 140 minutes of pulsating hurling against Kilkenny that ended in defeat, things don’t get any easier for Anthony Cunningham and his Galway team, as they must now prepare for a do-or-die qualifier clash with Tipperary in front of the Sky Sports cameras at Semple Stadium next Saturday evening.

Galway fell short tonight against Kilkenny but their manager was quick to point out the silver lining, that his team were still alive and still had plenty to play for.

“Any time you’re still in the championship, it’s brilliant. We’ve to regroup during the week and get back to Thurles on Saturday evening, we’re fighting the same as Tipperary, it’s going to be a brilliant match, I’ve no doubt about that”, said the St Thomas man after the game at O’Connor Park.

“Absolutely these games will stand to us. We're sharp now, you can't beat sharpness and pace, and the competitive nature of these matches; we have two great battles under our belt with Kilkenny.

"Look, it's a huge challenge but we're well up for it, we'll be there fighting like lions the next day. When you're beaten in championship the best way to get that out of your system is to be playing the following weekend, not to leave it two or three weeks, so that's a plus for us.”

Galway were never on top in this tie but they clung onto the coat-tails of their opponents until the closing stages, when TJ Reid’s late goal made the result certain. Cunningham agreed that the Kilkenny attacker took plenty of steps with the ball in his possession but felt that it was only of academic interest at that stage, that Kilkenny had earned their win.

“It (the goal) probably was a free out, I think everyone knew that. I think it was a three point game, a four point game, that was a fairer reflection, but it’s something we want to get right for next Saturday. It was a brilliant effort on our part to get back into the game to three points down, the Fogarty goal came against the run of play, but Kilkenny are hard to beat. We all know that, but small things cost us. We’d be disappointed, but we have to bottle that going into next weekend.”

Galway made three late changes to their starting team, introducing Jonathan Glynn, Paul Killeen and Joseph Cooney to their starting lineup. Echoing sentiments that Brian Cody aired, he defended his decision to shake things up and alter the side that held Kilkenny to a draw last week.

“When you’re playing week after week, that’s why you carry a panel, that’s why you play a lot of different players during the league. There are loads of guys who are fit to come into the team, who are fit to be playing, so we’d have to be happy with that. We’re giving huge experience to a lot of players out there.”

Saturday evening’s clash in Thurles will be the most high profile Sky Sports fixture of the year so far and Cunningham closed by predicting a top quality clash in front of the TV camera.

“Tipperary could have been playing in a Munster final bar a few minutes against Limerick so they're a top-class team. It's going to be some battle there next Saturday evening; we have a huge respect for Tipperary but huge confidence in our own ability, we showed a lot of snippets of good hurling in that match.”