Leeside lessons leave more questions than answers.
By Noel Dundon
Tipperary’s senior hurlers have been left with more questions than answers following a chastening Allianz National League Final in Páirc Uí Chaoimh. Soundly beaten all ends up in so many departments, at this stage it is difficult to see where the level of improvement needed for championship tempo is going to come from.
Tipp looked off the pace big time with Cork flashing the ball around with swagger and ease – we gave away far too much possession on the re-starts and the Cork lads manufactured scores at will. The thing is, Cork in possession will hurt any opposition, so why then give them the ball so cheaply?
At midfield and half forward, we were hammered for long periods of the game and that sector set the tone for the Rebel rout which saw quality ball being played into the Cork attack. That being said, Willie Connors could probably feel aggrieved at being removed so quickly as others were equally as culpable during that segment of the game when Cork went to town – he did not appear to have picked up an injury.
Analysing the game at this departure seems fruitless enough – it’s over and done with, and now the emphasis has to be on the championship tilt with Limerick in two weeks time. John Kiely will have watched this league final very closely and he will have identified areas where he feels Tipperary are vulnerable – on league final evidence, those areas are plentiful enough, but Tipp supporters will have to hope that the Leeside massacre was an aberration rather than a taste of things to come.
The Cork goals came from errors and you would have to expect that those errors will be eradicated come championship. A lot went wrong for individuals on the day and again one would have to expect that the experience of such a cauldron will help them come championship in two weeks time.
It will take something of a resurrection on Easter Sunday for Tipp to emerge with points on the board. The Treaty men have been sharpening their axes, focusing on the trees they have to cut down, and channeling all their attention towards that clash.
Now, we must do the same thing and while we ought to expect far more support at home than we enjoyed in Cork, it will be up to the panel of players to give those supporters something to cheer about. Now it has to be all about resilience for Tipp – they must bounce back with a spring in the step and fire in the belly. Otherwise it will be like 2024 all over again. And, we don’t want that.
O’Brien leads Tipp to big ball Victory.
A fit Steven O’Brien is so important to the Tipperary senior footballers – never was that seen more than on Saturday evening in FBD Semple Stadium when Waterford came to town looking for a second successive championship victory over the hosts. The big man from Ballina kicked 1-8 and though he was gone off the field by the time Waterford commenced their fight back late on, he had done enough to inspire an important Premier County win which now sets up a tough tilt with Clare in Cusack Park Ennis on the Easter weekend.
A place in the Munster Final will be on offer for the victor and Tipperary will know that they simply cannot allow Clare to dictate the game in the manner Waterford did in the last quarter. Up to that point, Tipp had performed very well but they could easily have been caught too. No such latitude can be permitted in the next outing – that’s something management will be reiterating during preparations in the next few sessions.
Mixed bag for underage sides.
A week of mixed fortunes for the U20 and minor hurlers and the U20 footballers with two defeats and one win being the Premier lot. The U20 hurling victory in Cork was very welcome after a poor first outing and gives hope that further progression can be achieved.
The minors, on the other hand, suffered a second defeat having been sucker punched again in the closing stages. Third place in the group is about as much as they can wish for now and they will be hoping that they can get the results to achieve this. A bit of work to do then.
As for the U20 footballers, Kerry were the visitors to New Inn and the panel will have gained much experience from the encounter which did not go their way, but which showed signs of continued development in the squad.