‘It was always going to be tough’ - Cahill’s reaction

By Liam Hogan

DESPITE losing to Waterford in last Sunday’s Co-op Superstore’s Munster Hurling league round two encounter in Dungarvan, Tipperary manager Liam Cahill was happy with his team’s display.

He said the players under his command have done everything asked of them “It was always going to be a tough day for the new boys that started. There are quite a few new players to the panel, or their first year in and it is was a tough assignment coming to Fraher Field to take on Waterford who had nine players who had championship experience in their starting fifteen. It was a good workout for them players. I don’t want to be picking out any individuals but there were a number of players who put up their hand to show they have something to offer and that was the objective today,” said Cahill.

Looking at the game the red card on Robert Byrne made things difficult for plans in the second half but whatever it was worked well as Tipp produced a great second half.

“It’s always tough going at fifteen a side not to mind fourteen aside. In my eyes it was a fifty-fifty decision. Robert was committed to the pull. One of the Waterford players slipped the ball away as the hurley (Robert Byrne’s) was gone back but contact was made. We have no real argument with the colour of the card. Contact was made but I don’t think there was any real intent by Robert in that instance today.

For the second half we looked at upping our work rate especially up front when we had to step everything back because we had too when we were down to fourteen. We needed to get a bit of energy back into the team,” he added.

He went on to say: “If Waterford were working the ball out we tried our best to make ourselves as big and as busy as possible to break the ball down and in the second half I think we did that and rushed Waterford into hitting the ball long and made good gains in the second half.”

“Look, these lads are committed and training really well. Inter county hurling is serious and in the month of January there will be heavy going.”

REFeree GOT IT RIGHT

On the Michael Kiely incident, the Tipp manager thought the correct decision was made by referee Simon Stokes in not sending the Waterford player to the line, adding that for the Cork official it was his first big day and he needs time to adjust to the role at inter county level.

“I think the referee got it right. It was a free and from where I was standing, the hurly came back and made contact with Mikey Breen. It’s an opinion, but if there was contact made and there was a striking action it probably warranted a little bit stronger. But the referee did what was right in consulting his umpires and gave a yellow card.

“One must remember, to be fair, this is a pre-season competition for players and for Simon it was his first step up to inter county hurling. Everybody is starting out and Simon is coming into the inter county scene and just like players needs time to adjust to the workings of inter county hurling,” said Cahill.