Derek Lyng still trying to strike right balance with Kilkenny

Kilkenny manager Derek Lyng is hopeful his side can take valuable lessons from their six-point loss to Tipperary in the Allianz Hurling League.

The Cats won their opening league game against Waterford by the same margin last week but Lyng's second competitive match in charge since succeeding 11-time All-Ireland winning manager Brian Cody left the 44-year-old with plenty to ponder.

The first half in particular disappointed Lyng who spoke to RTÉ Sport at full-time at UPMC Nowlan Park.

"The first half was just disappointing. We stood off Tipperary. You can't do that with the hurlers that they have and the top teams and so for me we just have to be much tighter," he said.

"We pushed up a lot more in the second half and you could see the improvement straight away.

"So we just have to get that balance right. You talk about shape and structure but you need to be up on your man. It's the basic stuff and as the second half went on, we did have chances. We didn't take them.

"But overall we weren't good enough today and it's as simple as that and we have a lot of improvement to do."

Lyng said the team are still trying to fine tune their evolution in style ahead of the third round of action in two weeks' time when they will face Laois at O'Moore Park.

"We're trying to get more comfortable on the ball and working it out," he said.

"We're trying to mix it up at the same time. I don't favour one system over the other at all. But there are signs there when decisions that were made, we put a lot of hardship on ourselves.

"It's about mixing it up much better. But I said to the players, that's what we've been working on. We've been working on lots of things, we're going to make mistakes and it broke down today. It wasn't good enough, particularly in