Waterford manager Derek McGrath paid tribute to Galway on their win but was extremely proud of his own players.
The Deise recovered from a poor start to push the Tribesmen all the way but fell just short at the final whistle.
Speaking to Off the Ball's Oisin Langan after the match, McGrath said: "It's very hard to do a cold analysis straight away but I think the first ten minutes is probably where we were kind of hit with sucker punches. Galway were so fluid early on, it was four points on the board and I think we got a goal against the head so look (they were) marginally the better team overall.
"I thought we were chasing it for long periods and Galway's scores came a bit easier so it looked like to us that they were missing nothing, I'm not sure of the wide count but it seemed they were missing nothing. We were chasing it a bit so no real complaints and against that feeling of disappointment is just the overriding emotion of pride in our own lads in terms of what they got out of themselves.
Galway's Conor Whelan and Jonathan Glynn with Barry Coughlan and Tadhg De Burca of Waterford. Image: ©INPHO/Cathal Noonan
"I think the balance between the short game working and not working in the first half as opposed to trying to get in over Gearoid McInerney in the second half - we kind of maybe over-emphasised the long ball in the second half when Galway were coming deep and on the break so it was very difficult to get it right on given day.
"It was a case where we discussed at half-time whjere we were kind of getting murdered on our own puc-outs so we decided to try and get it over them if we could.
The full post match interview can be heard here:
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