Brian Cody has launched a scathing attack on referee Barry Kelly, describing the decision to award Tipperary a late opportunity to win the drawn All-Ireland hurling final as "criminal".

Speaking to reporters at the CityWest Hotel yesterday before Kilkenny set off on their journey home with the Liam MacCarthy Cup, Cody admitted that the decision to award the free against Brian Hogan still rankles with him.

Fortunately for the Cats, they lived to fight another day after John O'Dwyer's effort from 97 metres was ruled as narrowly wide by Hawk-Eye.

"They (Tipp) were handed an opportunity with the last puck of the game, the last day, in the wrong, to win the game," the Kilkenny manager fumed.

"We didn't speak about it the last day, but it was criminal what was done the last day. People can say that I'm whinging and moaning all they like, but I'm telling the truth.

"That was a deliberate decision given against us the last day and it was the wrong thing to do. If he had said play on, I would have said fair enough. But don't hand a team a free puck."

Kilkenny's relationship with the Westmeath match official has been strained ever since he awarded Galway a controversial late free to send the 2012 All-Ireland final to a replay. Kelly also incurred the wrath of the Cats after he sent off Henry Shefflin in their 2013 All-Ireland quarter-final defeat to Cork, a decision which was later overturned.

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