The Munster hurling final may not have delivered on its promise of a great contest between two sides hungry for honours but it has signalled the arrival of a Tipp side who were a joy to watch.
Liam Sheedy's team showed that their National League win was no one off and this young Premier side looked equipped to take on even the mighty Cats.
I have always believed there is no substitute for class and the Tipp lads showed that in abundance on Sunday.
They seemed to be able to take their scores at will from all angles but this was due to some great passing into the front three and great movement at pace off the ball by Lar Corbett in particular which created the openings for Tipp to finally put Clare to the sword.
Tipp to be honest looked good all over the field.
Their full back line gave Clare no quarter whatsoever and it was no fluke that Niall Gilligan only got into the game after half time when he moved out the field.
It was a tough day at the office for Gilligan and young Mark Flaherty in the opening half.
Eamon Corcoran put in another mighty performance in half back and while Clare had purple patches in the middle of the field Shane McGrath kept working hard and eventually came out on top.
Tipp enjoyed a great return from their half forwards Seamus Callinan and John O'Brien, their two goals were really nails in the Banner men's coffin.
Eoin Kelly put in another good solid performance and I think he has been helped by the fact that the team is no longer so dependent on him to bring home the bacon, Kelly can afford to play almost like a mere mortal these days and the team will come up with the goods.
Corbett is absolutely flying this season. He seems to be playing much more consistently and his constant probing is opening up gaps in any defence he has faced so far.
What most impressed me was the sheer quality of Tipp's striking and movement and they matched this with the toughness required to face strong opposition.
Of course they still have to face the Cats and will have to overcome another stiff test in the All-Ireland semi final no matter who comes through the qualifiers just to earn the right to take on the champions.
However, they look for the first time in years like the genuine article.
They are a young side and have a conveyor belt of young talent breaking through to suggest that they will be a force for a few years to come.
Hurling badly needs at least one team capable of a genuine rivalry with the Cats and the Premier County men look like the team best equipped to put in a sustained challenge, but try telling that to Galway!
Showing posts with label Tipp. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tipp. Show all posts
Tuesday, 15 July 2008
Sunday, 8 June 2008
Changing of the guard in Munster
Really enjoyed the Munster hurling semi final this afternoon.
I think we have just watched the changing of the guard in the province with both Cork and Waterford, who have dominated Munster for the last six seasons, out of the championship.
Cork had every chance to win this game, at one point seven up but Tipp chipped away at their lead.
However, Cork had the game in their grasp again early in the second half.
For the first 20 minutes of the half they missed a penalty and a whole series of chances.
Tipp hung grimly on as Cork's midfield and half backs were totally on top and they never slipped more than two points behind.
What will worry Cork is the fact that they visibly tired in the last quarter as the younger fresher Tipp lads grew in confidence.
There was only one team in it in the last ten minutes with Cork reduced to long hopeful balls into a full forward line which Tipp had by the throat at this stage.
Tipp will relish the thought of a Munster final against either Clare and Limerick with a league title and a historic victory over Cork under their belts.
Tipp look like a team which can go all the way and they will now fear no one.
For Cork, the worry has to be that their best players were the lads who have already taken this team to the heights.
Gerald McCarthy tried out a new full forward line but it didn't work out.
Cathal Naughton showed he has what it takes to step up to the plate, O'Sullivan had his moments but Pa Cronin has a poor day at the office.
Cork have struggled in the forward line over the last couple of seasons and even with everyone fit they look shy of the punch up front to win the Liam McCarthy this year.
I think we have just watched the changing of the guard in the province with both Cork and Waterford, who have dominated Munster for the last six seasons, out of the championship.
Cork had every chance to win this game, at one point seven up but Tipp chipped away at their lead.
However, Cork had the game in their grasp again early in the second half.
For the first 20 minutes of the half they missed a penalty and a whole series of chances.
Tipp hung grimly on as Cork's midfield and half backs were totally on top and they never slipped more than two points behind.
What will worry Cork is the fact that they visibly tired in the last quarter as the younger fresher Tipp lads grew in confidence.
There was only one team in it in the last ten minutes with Cork reduced to long hopeful balls into a full forward line which Tipp had by the throat at this stage.
Tipp will relish the thought of a Munster final against either Clare and Limerick with a league title and a historic victory over Cork under their belts.
Tipp look like a team which can go all the way and they will now fear no one.
For Cork, the worry has to be that their best players were the lads who have already taken this team to the heights.
Gerald McCarthy tried out a new full forward line but it didn't work out.
Cathal Naughton showed he has what it takes to step up to the plate, O'Sullivan had his moments but Pa Cronin has a poor day at the office.
Cork have struggled in the forward line over the last couple of seasons and even with everyone fit they look shy of the punch up front to win the Liam McCarthy this year.
Saturday, 7 June 2008
Tradition will carry Rebels through
Tipp are travelling to Páirc Uí Chaoimh tomorrow trying to get an 85-year-old monkey off their back.
Buoyed up by winning the National League and with some of the young players like Shane McGrath showing a new maturity and hunger this is Tipp's best chance to defeat the Rebels at home since 1923.
All bad runs have to come to an end sometime and the Premier men must feel like they are the team on the up while Cork are still backboned by a core of players who saw great success earlier in the decade, playing in four All-Ireland finals in a row in the process.
Tradition shouldn't mean anything in a game like this but I believe that the Cork vets will just about hold on tomorrow spurred on by a big local support and determined not to be remembered as the Rebel side which lost to Tipp at home.
I am still confident that both these sides will end up in the latter stages of the All Ireland regardless of tomorrow's result but I think Tipp will have to wait another year on Munster success.
However, if Cork were to fall tomorrow on their home patch and go out of Munster at the semi final stage for the second year running it would be a huge shift in a province which has been dominated by Cork and Waterford for the last six seasons.
Buoyed up by winning the National League and with some of the young players like Shane McGrath showing a new maturity and hunger this is Tipp's best chance to defeat the Rebels at home since 1923.
All bad runs have to come to an end sometime and the Premier men must feel like they are the team on the up while Cork are still backboned by a core of players who saw great success earlier in the decade, playing in four All-Ireland finals in a row in the process.
Tradition shouldn't mean anything in a game like this but I believe that the Cork vets will just about hold on tomorrow spurred on by a big local support and determined not to be remembered as the Rebel side which lost to Tipp at home.
I am still confident that both these sides will end up in the latter stages of the All Ireland regardless of tomorrow's result but I think Tipp will have to wait another year on Munster success.
However, if Cork were to fall tomorrow on their home patch and go out of Munster at the semi final stage for the second year running it would be a huge shift in a province which has been dominated by Cork and Waterford for the last six seasons.
Sunday, 20 April 2008
Premier men need ruthless streak
One thing did strike me about the Tipp performance today which has bothered me.
The Premier men still lack a little ruthlessness and that was their undoing in last year's battles with Limerick when they had them beaten on at least two occasions and let them off the hook.
There was still a hangover from that in today's Tipperary performance.
I felt that Tipp had the edge throughout the game but the one thing they failed to do was to put Galway away.
There were times when the Premier men were on top that they hit a few poor wides and Galway to their credit hung in there never too far away.
Even when Tipp hit a real purple patch right after the Lar Corbett goal which saw them open up a seven-point gap they missed a couple of chances which would have put the game out of sight.
In fairness to the players they will get better as they become fitter and faster and their touch improves by the time championship comes.
However, Tipp have upped their game, they work harder and are a lot more competitive, but Kilkenny and Cork rarely let anyone off the hook when they get on top, they put you down.
If anyone wants to steal their thunder they need to match their ruthless streak
The Premier men still lack a little ruthlessness and that was their undoing in last year's battles with Limerick when they had them beaten on at least two occasions and let them off the hook.
There was still a hangover from that in today's Tipperary performance.
I felt that Tipp had the edge throughout the game but the one thing they failed to do was to put Galway away.
There were times when the Premier men were on top that they hit a few poor wides and Galway to their credit hung in there never too far away.
Even when Tipp hit a real purple patch right after the Lar Corbett goal which saw them open up a seven-point gap they missed a couple of chances which would have put the game out of sight.
In fairness to the players they will get better as they become fitter and faster and their touch improves by the time championship comes.
However, Tipp have upped their game, they work harder and are a lot more competitive, but Kilkenny and Cork rarely let anyone off the hook when they get on top, they put you down.
If anyone wants to steal their thunder they need to match their ruthless streak
Change in the air at the top table
The GAA should be happy on every front today after the National Hurling League final.
Firstly a larger than usual crowd weighed in, boosted no doubt by the fact that the two counties involved have been starved of success in recent seasons.
Secondly the standard of play was top class for this time of the season and both Galway and Tipp have now sounded out a warning to the country that they are genuine contenders for this year's Liam McCarthy.
I have said it before, we need someone to challenge the Cork Kilkenny monopoly on the All-Ireland title.
There is no doubt that public interest in hurling rises whenever another side or two come in to the mix and the All-Ireland becomes a little more unpredictable.
Tipp and Galway have now set us up for what should be a good season's hurling.
There will be a backlash from the Big Two after last week's results, their pride will be hurt but that will only add an edge to a season where Kilkenny are attempting the three in a row.
With today's finalists looking like being in the mix for the Liam McCarthy, we can only look forward to the All Ireland in the hope that at last change might be in the air.
Firstly a larger than usual crowd weighed in, boosted no doubt by the fact that the two counties involved have been starved of success in recent seasons.
Secondly the standard of play was top class for this time of the season and both Galway and Tipp have now sounded out a warning to the country that they are genuine contenders for this year's Liam McCarthy.
I have said it before, we need someone to challenge the Cork Kilkenny monopoly on the All-Ireland title.
There is no doubt that public interest in hurling rises whenever another side or two come in to the mix and the All-Ireland becomes a little more unpredictable.
Tipp and Galway have now set us up for what should be a good season's hurling.
There will be a backlash from the Big Two after last week's results, their pride will be hurt but that will only add an edge to a season where Kilkenny are attempting the three in a row.
With today's finalists looking like being in the mix for the Liam McCarthy, we can only look forward to the All Ireland in the hope that at last change might be in the air.
Great league final, bring on the real thing
Just coming down after enjoying a great league final.
Tipp were good value for their win even though there was only a score between the teams at the end of the game.
Felt heart sorry for Galway keeper james Skehill who made one dreadful mistake costing his side a goal near half time and it ended up being the difference between the sides.
Many a young keeper's career has been wrecked by one error in a big game and I hope Skehill will get past it.
The Premier men had heroes all over the field. I thought that Paul Curran was fantastic particularly in the first half, keeping Joe Canning almost anonymous.
Eamon Corcoran was another who really got stuck in when Damian Hayes was giving him all he wanted.
Shane McGrath was inspirational again in the middle of the field but the mobility of the Tipp full forward line caused Galway problems all day.
Lar Corbett (above) had one of those days when you think what a player, he just needs to do it more consistently, while Eoin Kelly kept the score board moving from frees and play.
Corbett's goal was the real turning point of the game coming within seconds of Galway spurning a goal chance at the other end. The Tribesmen found themselves five behind instead of being a point ahead.
Tipp's work rate was impressive throughout and they have added a bit of steel to their side.
Their defence was uncompromising even though it was undone by the Galway attack on three occasions.
Liam Sheedy's team will take a lot out of this performance, a National title will give his younger players many of whom were winners at the underage level a lift with a senior title already under their belts.
Tipp could go on from here, unlike Waterford who made the breakthrough in last year's league they are not in the last chance saloon and they will take this result with them into the championship.
Saturday, 19 April 2008
League final promises greater things
Really looking forward to tomorrow's league decider in the hurling between Galway and Tipp.
Part of the attraction is that the Big two will be sitting this one out while two of the sides who have a realistic chance of challenging the established order get the chance to show their credentials at Gaelic Park.
Tipp have a new manager Liam Sheedy while Galway's Ger Loughnane is already a legend in the game and not always for the right reasons.
Loughnane is particularly disliked in Tipp since the era when his Clare side mercilessly put Tipp to the sword during the hurling revolution of the '90s, beating them in a Munster final and then the All-Ireland final of 1997, when Sheedy played on the losing team.
Tipp people regarded the then Clare boss and his side as arrogant bullies.
Yes Clare did play with some swagger at that time and they were among the most pumped-up sides in the country, but that was natural enough after years of enduring hidings at the hands of Cork and Tipp as they didn't get to play Kilkenny in the championship then as they couldn't get out of Munster.
However, despite the local rivalry I was shocked in a pub in Tipp in 1998 to hear the locals cheer Offaly on against Clare in the famous third encounter between the sides in the 1998 All-Ireland semi final.
Being an Ulsterman it has always been our tradition, apart from the Tyrone and Derry people I believe where there is no love lost for each other, to cheer on the Ulster champions once they left the province to take on the southern hordes.
So when I asked people there what was the craic, the one answer again and again for the support for Offaly was that "b******d Loughnane".
So there is no doubt that the Tipp people will want their team to put one over the upstart from Feakle who dared to challenge the 'natural order' of hurling.
And in fairness Tipp have improved this season, they are a hard working side for a start and maybe at last some of the underage talent they have produced in recent seasons is beginning to bloom. Shane McGrath has been outstanding in midfield and while Eoin Kelly still continues to produce the goods up front he has had a little more support with a better spread of the scores.
Galway on the other hand have come on in leaps and bounds. For around ten years I wondered were they incapable of producing big physically strong forwards but they look a lot more imposing and of course the country awaits to see can Joe Canning build on his great start to inter-county hurling.
In Richie Murray and Kevin Hynes they have two hard working midfielders.
The other thing I see going Galway's way is the fact that it is Tipp they are facing and the Tribesmen don't have the same fear or inferiority complex about the Premier men as they have had traditionally with Kilkenny and Cork.
I think it will be a great joust, I think the title might just go west and I hope that this is more than another false dawn where Galway and Tipp have promised much but flattered to deceive.
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