Tipperary boss Michael Ryan felt a draw was a fair result in last night's fascinating Division 1A clash against Kilkenny in Thurles.

The hosts had been eight points clear at one stage before two TJ Reid penalties helped the Cats get back in contention and eventually lead before Stephen O'Brien grabbed a late equaliser to snatch a 3-14 to 2-17 draw for the All-Ireland champions.

"I think it's a very fair reflection of the game," Ryan told the Irish Mirror. "We've often lost those tight ones! It would have been awful hard for either team to go home without something from the match. It gave and gave.

"Those are the games that give you a really good measure of where you're at this point. Remember it's only March 11 - great data for both sides on their squads, we go ahead again, matchday four, another one coming in two weeks.

"It's a great League, we give out about it at times but it's a great League. Conditions would have helped a lot of the quality of the hurling out there tonight."

Ryan added that he had no complaints over the penalties which were given to Kilkenny, stating: "The first one I didn't have a very good view of it but I do think Mickey Cahill did probably interfere with the forward and that's a penalty.

"The second one was very clearcut and disappointing because when you're playing Kilkenny and they have TJ Reid standing over the ball, it looked to me as if our goalie actually never moved.

"Now, that's not a criticism, it just shows that he's an absolutely outstanding striker of the ball."

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