Underdogs Tipperary will be looking to push Cork all the way in Munster semi-final
Premier County team face huge challenge against The Rebels in Semple Stadium
A national newspaper’s preview of the senior football championship across all four provinces rated the competing teams from one to 33. Tipperary were number 29; the Cork side they meet in Saturday’s Munster semi-final in FBD Semple Stadium (2pm) were 20 places higher at number nine. The Waterford side that Tipperary beat in the quarter-final in Dungarvan were second last, just one place ahead of New York.
Those statistics reflect the challenge facing Tipperary in Thurles this weekend. Cork may not be among the top six contenders for the Sam Maguire but they are not far off that ranking, following an impressive Division Two league campaign that saw them win promotion to the top flight. They also cruised past Limerick in their provincial quarter-final.
But it’s safe to say that those stats will not overly concern team boss Niall Fitzgerald as he prepares his side for the game. Tipperary were not as impressive in dispatching a Waterford side on a 13-game losing run, but a chance to take a scalp as big as Cork in a Munster semi-final is a challenge to relish. It doesn’t have the same high profile as last Sunday’s hurling clash between the same counties but provides the Tipp footballers with their own chance of creating history.
Fitzgerald will be looking for the improvements that he said were needed following the win over Waterford in Dungarvan. He wasn’t happy with how his side controlled the game, their shot selection and execution, concession of turnovers, and failure to take opportunities.
What did please him was the application of the side, and getting the job done, against a Deise team that had shocked Tipp at the same venue two years ago.
Closing down the Cork attack will be a key requirement because in Stephen Sherlock, Chris Óg Jones and Mark Cronin, the Rebels have recognised scorers who can trouble any defence. The quality of attack that Tipperary will face will be higher than anything they experienced in their Division Four league campaign, and big games will be required from players such as Eoin O’Connell (Loughmore/Castleiney), James Morris (Clonmel Commercials) and Kieran Costello (Thurles Sarsfields), especially if Moyle Rovers’ Luke Boland is still unavailable through injury.
Former captain Steven O’Brien (Ballina) remains another injury doubt, and in his absence the focus would be centred on captain, Killenaule’s Paudie Feehan, and debutant against Waterford, Joe Higgins, to match Cork around midfield. Higgins impressed Fitzgerald with his fielding against Waterford and another big performance will be required from the tall Clonmel Commercials player in what will be his biggest test to date.
Upfront, the focus will be very much on his Commercials team mate Sean O’Connor to keep the scoreboard ticking over. O’Connor’s six second half points tipped the balance for Tipperary against Waterford, but his two-pointer was the only one scored by Tipp, even with the strong wind at their backs in the second half.
Goals could also be crucial against Cork and it might be a worry for Fitzgerald that of all the 18 counties in action on the first weekend of the championship, the Blue and Gold were one of just three teams not to score a goal.
Of course, they have classy forwards who can find the net – O’Connor hit three goals in the recent league win over Waterford, while Cian Smith (Clonmel Commercials) and Daithí Hogan (St Patrick’s) can trouble any defence. Kilsheelan/Kilcash’s Micheál Freaney also carries a threat upfront while both Eoin Craddock (Holycross/Ballycahill) and Killian Butler (Moyle Rovers) scored on their championship debuts in Dungarvan.
Waterford are always hard to break down in Fraher Field so Niall Fitzgerald will have been pleased with how his side coped with the challenge, even if the Moyle Rovers man wasn’t satisfied with some aspects of the performance.
The Cork game will be a bigger challenge again, while playing at home might not be such an advantage to Tipp as Cork will relish the wide open spaces of Semple Stadium – it’s also a venue where Tipperary doesn’t always have the biggest support.
Defeat would offer the more realistic prospect of Tailteann Cup success rather than provincial honours, but that won’t lessen the desire of the management and players to cause one of the upsets of the championship.
The least that manager Fitzgerald will demand is that the players push Cork all the way and maintain Tipperary football on an upward trajectory.