Where does the AIL go from here?

WHILE the Garryowen coach Paul Cunningham was lauding his team for not conceding a penalty in the dying minutes of Saturday’s AIB All-Ireland League final at Musgrave Park, his opposite number, Brian Walsh of Cork Constitution, was berating referee Alan Lewis for allowing the new champions to get away with what he regarded as serious infringements within touching distance of their own posts.

Cunningham was glowing in his praise of the way his side have battled over the past couple of months until they finally added the league title to the Munster Senior and Junior cups and AIB All-Ireland Cup already adorning the Dooradoyle sideboard.

Luck was on their side on several occasions in recent times but, when it came to defending their single point advantage on Saturday, the Garryowen coach had no doubt as to why they held on.