Galway reaction: This morning they are feeling the pain of defeat but Galway hurling will take heart from the bigger picture. The positives. Last year they folded against Kilkenny in Thurles. That attitude has been cleansed from this young team.

This week they were lauded as the team that saved hurling's summer but September has always been part of autumn. But just as Cork learned in 2003, Galway now know what is required to make the final leap.

Experience. Cunning. Savvy. Call it what you like but even one of their youngest sons saw why they failed to dethrone Cork yesterday. At least wing back David Collins has an under-21 All-Ireland final to look forward to next Sunday.

"They say you have to lose one to win one so hopefully that is going to be the one we lost and we can come back next year and win the next one. I don't really know what else to say, to be honest with you. I'm absolutely heartbroken.

"They are a super team so hopefully we can learn from that and come back next year a better team and win it. I'm going to lay down the law now: we'll win it next year.

"Experience paid off for them. You could see it by the way they passed the ball around, took their chances and stopped us playing it. They are a well-worked professional team.

" We believed we'd go out and win it. The better team won but we're going to keep it going. We'll be back again next year."

Conor Hayes spoke at length to his players before analysing the game for the waiting media. Again, he identified inexperience as his team's Achilles heel.

"It took us a while to settle into the game. It was probably one of the worrying factors that we had behind the scenes. The experience of the big day and that. They were more used to playing at this level from the previous three years," he said.

"They settled into the game well and the goal they got settled them a bit more."

Five points to one down before the eyes adjusted to the bright lights of an All-Ireland final. Hayes said Galway needed to get their noses in front before half-time but a couple of wides came instead of white flags.

A sour taste remained from the Ben O'Connor goal as some believed Diarmuid O'Sullivan had fouled Niall Healy down the other end in the build-up.

"I thought it was a free," added Hayes. "But we left ourselves open down the middle. Any mistakes we made, Cork capitalised on them. Particularly when we got a point, as from the next puck-out the breaking ball would break to a Corkman and they would get a score back. That was a telling factor."

Yet, as the dust settles, Galway proved when the playing field is level they can live with anyone.

"This was our sixth championship game this year and we have won five of them. That's a new thing in Galway . . . We have beaten Laois, Antrim. We beat Limerick. Beat Tipperary and Kilkenny to get here.

"It's disappointing to lose today but we have those victories behind us.

"Next year, if we are in a similar situation, the lads will know what level they have to achieve to get into a quarter-final and get into a semi-final and final. They now know the level it takes to win a final as well."