Galway star Joe Canning has admitted he would have also pointed the late penalty in last Sunday's All-Ireland Hurling Final if he was in the same position as Henry Shefflin.
The Portumna full-forward also told the Irish Times that full-back JJ Delaney wasn't too impressed with Shefflin's decision to take the point.
Galway, having been in front at half-time, were overhauled by the Cats in the second period and when the reigning champions were awarded a 68th minute penalty, things looked ominous for the Tribesmen.
With the sides level, Shefflin opted to knock the penalty high over the crossbar to give his side a lead. However, Galway were awarded a free in the final minute of stoppage time and Canning duly sent the game to a replay.
The replay is pencilled in for September 30 at Croke Park, and will mark the first decider to be replayed since 1959. Following their first meeting, Kilkenny are now priced at 1/2 to win the replay, with Galway at 2/1 with
Ladbrokes and a second drawn game showing at odds of 10/1.
Canning, 23, believes that Kilkenny are slightly more streetwise at this stage, and amazingly he has risked the ire of Brian Cody’s side by issuing a damning indictment of their eight-time All-Ireland winner Shefflin.
“I suppose they are a bit cuter. In one instance in the first half, Henry ran 30 or 40 yards down the field and was giving out to (referee) Barry Kelly for a free,” Canning told the Irish Times.
“That’s not sportsmanlike either at the same stage. That’s the way it goes – that’s probably the experience they have. Hopefully we can get that and use it to our advantage as well. You need everything you can get during those games.”
Canning went on to further claim that Shefflin’s team-mate, defender JJ Delaney was less than impressed with his decision not to go for goal from the late penalty, although the young Galway forward did concede he would likely have done the same in Shefflin’s position.
“JJ wasn’t too impressed anyway behind me! He thought he should have went for it as well,” Canning went on.
“People asked me after what I would have done. I probably would have went for a point as well because at that time of the game, a point was very crucial. If he missed it, people would said why didn’t he tap it over the bar.”
