Henry Shefflin: We don't make it easy but were better team

Galway manager Henry Shefflin praised his team's resolve in bouncing back from their agonising Leinster final defeat and acknowledged they had no interest in a "free-flowing, open" game against a Tipperary side who racked up 7-38 last weekend.

After Cillian Buckley's last gasp goal denied Galway a provincial title at the death a fortnight ago, the westerners recovered to grind out a two-point victory over narrow favourites Tipperary in Saturday evening's quarter-final in Limerick.

While Conor Whelan struck 1-04 from play and took a second successive Man of the Match award, the victory was built on Galway's rock solid defence - so heavily criticised after shipping four goals against Kilkenny - with Cathal Mannion excelling in the sweeper role.

Against a bizarrely subdued and misfiring Tipp side, Galway led 1-15 to 0-10 at one stage in the second half, before a nervy final quarter was set in train by John McGrath's goal. But Shefflin's side held firm to win 1-20 to 1-18 in the finish.

"It was probably a bit of grind in there!" the Galway manager admitted afterwards.

"They're not making it easy on us in the management team or the supporters the last couple of weeks!

"I feel we probably were the better team. We probably didn't want a free-flowing open game after watching them last weekend. So we turned it into a bit of a battle.

"We had the chances to put it away but to be fair to Tipp, they responded very well.

"One thing I'm immensely proud of is that (talk of) character and resilience has been thrown at this group a lot. The sucker punch we got in the Leinster final was very difficult.

"I want to thank the panel of players. We went last Friday night down to Clare. All our subs played them in a challenge match and it was wonderful