Jackie Tyrrell says Kilkenny "completely lost their way at the end" as their bid for a first All-Ireland SHC title in nine years came to an end against Clare on Saturday.
The five-in-a-row Leinster champions had quietened the Banner roar at the All-Ireland semi-final stage in the last two years and things looked to be on track in the first half. But a five-point half-time lead wasn't enough as the Cats began to lose their rhythm, with Clare taking full advantage.
Speaking on the RTÉ GAA Podcast, nine-time All-Ireland winner Tyrrell suggested that the nature of the defeat was not in keeping with what Kilkenny followers would expect of their team.
"For 35 or 40 minutes they were fairly on it," he said.
"They just missed a few opportunities in the first half and instead of going in minimum eight up, they were five up.
"The Kilkenny team that we know would definitely have been eight or nine up.
"We lost our way completely in the second half and that happens in games. You lose momentum and it's very hard to get back."
Tyrrell was a defender in his days in black and amber, but it was at the other end of the field that he felt Kilkenny left it behind them.
"It's very unlike some of Kilkenny's big names in the forwards," he added.
"You think of Adrian Mullen being so poor. John Donnelly, although he clipped two points, was relatively anonymous. He normally gets a few turnovers, creates a few scores.
"TJ [Reid] was probably our best forward but still wasn't hugely influential, and Eoin Cody got no joy out of Adam Hogan - outside of the goal.
"They're your four big main guys up front. Not alone could we not get a score, we couldn't win ball up there. When Clare took over we had no answer."
The defeat on Saturday brought to an end year two of manager Derek Lyng's three-year agreement with the Kilkenny county board.
Lyng stepped into the toughest gig in hurling - comparable with going on after The Beatles - as he took over from the legendary Brian Cody, who had led the Cats to 11 Liam MacCarthy Cups, 18 Bob O'Keeffes, and 10 league titles.
For Tyrrell, some of the decisions Cody's successor Lyng made on Saturday cost Kilkenny.
"We were probably slow to do things on the sideline. Walter [Walsh], I'd have brought him on on the other side; I felt David McInerney was outstanding at that stage and we weren't going to get any joy out of him.
"Maybe a Declan Dalton approach, where you bring someone to the side and puck it to the other side. I probably would have put Walter the other side on Diarmuid Ryan.
"From being in such a strong position in the first half to somehow lose that game, you're kind of scratching your head going, 'how did we lose it?'"
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