Brian Cody defended his angry exchange with rival manager Anthony Cunningham at the end of the All-Ireland final.

Cody was untypically animated after referee Barry Kelly awarded a controversial injury-time free to Galway which Joe Canning converted to send the final to a replay on September 30.

"Look, there were about 81,000 people there today. Every one of them was fairly excited and raoding and fierce passionate at that stage of the game," the Kilkenny manager said.

"Surely to God the two managers are entitled to be excited. If that's a strange thing to see, then you haven't been at too many hurling matches. It happens every week in matches and everywhere else. It was a bit of excitement, no big deal, 'Well done Anthony, best of luck, see you in three weeks' time."

Despite his obvious frustration at the decision to award Galway substitute Davy Glennon the late free, Cody insisted that Kilkenny didn't feel cheated.

"We weren't robbed in this game by a long shot. Galway scored the same amount as us, we scored the same amount as Galway," he added.

"I don't have any problem at all with the referee. He has a tough job to do, we all have a tough job to do. I'm sure I made several mistakes out there during the years hurling as well. He'd be some man if he didn't make mistakes.

"I'm sure every Kilkenny person thought it wasn't a free, I'm sure every Galway person thought it was a free. The only thing that matters was that Barry Kelly thought it was a free." Tweet

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