Brain Cody was in a patient mood following Kilkenny’s 3-11 to 0-17 loss against Galway at Pearse Stadium yesterday afternoon, in the opening game of both teams' Allianz HUrling League season. The Kilkenny manager was keen on accentuating the positives from a performance that saw his side look some way off their competition sharpened best.

In a repeat of last year’s All-Ireland final the two sides most likely to meet again in September began the process of shaking off their winter’s rust by going up against the best calibre of opposition available.

Kilkenny were slightly off the pace for much of the game and minor errors had the hallmarks of a side lacking practise. Brian Cody touched on this aspect in his post-match interview with Newstalk’s Oisin Langan. Cody admitted his side were in need of work before they could hope to be back at their best. “We have no hurling at all done I suppose”

Despite the sometimes sloppy display from his side Cody was pleased to see the correct attitude present in his side, and felt confident that once the attitude was right then the match sharpness would soon follow.

“(The goals) were all preventable. You’d be hoping that when we get a bit of hurling behind us that those things wouldn’t be happening.

“Overall the display was good.

“I don’t mind mistakes as long as the attitude was good”

Image: Kilkenny manager Brian Cody watches from the sidelines
©INPHO/Morgan Treacy