Walsh's first championship game in charge saw Cork take on Tipperary in Semple Stadium. While many expected Tipp to trounce Cork, Walsh's side fought admirably before eventually losing by 1–19 to 0–19. After a convincing win over Offaly in the opening round of the qualifiers, Walsh's next assignment with Cork was a win-or-bust All-Ireland qualifier meeting with an in-form Galway. After an opening half which saw both sides trade tit-for-tat scores, Galway pulled away in the final ten minutes to record a 1–19 to 0–15 victory, their fifth-ever over Cork.