Better team lost as Power laments key turnovers
By Liam Hogan
“I thought the better team lost to be honest,” was the Tipperary manager David Power’s assessment after watching his team lose to Cavan in the Division 4 Allianz Football League final at Croke Park on Saturday.
Clearly disappointed after the defeat the Tipp man displayed a mixture of emotions.
“I thought we were definitely the better team in the second half,” he continued.
“There was just a couple of key turnovers. It cost us the second goal. It was the crucial score.
“To where we were the day in Dungarvan is chalk and cheese. There is some serious stuff to work with going forward.”
Tipp played well but three turnovers in the final quarter, especially the turnover that led to the winning goal for Cavan proved to be decisive.
“That was the crucial score,” Power added.
“It was really against the run of play. It was unfortunate to score fifteen scores. They scored twelve. There was very little in it and then we hit the crossbar near the end.
“We probably panicked with a few minutes to go. We didn’t need to be forcing it as much because I felt we could have got that score. Look, overall, the big thing was last Saturday night (London) getting to Division 3 but to get that performance there today shows we are a work in progress.”
As well as the goal, they were many key moments that changed the course of the game but there was also the substitution of Mark Russell in the 54th minute. The Tipp midfielder was in line for man of the match at the stage as his substitution came seconds after he scored his fourth point.
“There is only fifty minutes in him,” Power revealed.
“Mark actually signalled to come off because that is what is in him at the minute.
“At the end of the day Mark Russell has been unbelievable. He is in his first year. He has played very every well and if you look at all our games, he has been replaced around the fifty-minute mark. He knows that. That was a decision we actually made. We didn’t want to take him off. If there is seventy minutes in him then so be it.”
Tipperary have four weeks to prepare for their first championship game against Waterford in Dungarvan on April 30th and David Power isn’t looking beyond that.
“The target is to beat Waterford in four weeks’ time."