Forewarned is fore-armed for Tipp
By Shane Brophy
Tipperary will be without league star performer Mark Russell for this Saturday’s Munster Senior Football Championship clash with Waterford in Dungarvan (7.00pm).
The Aherlow Gaels midfielder who was outstanding in the six games he played during the league, culminating in his four point from play performance in the division 4 defeat to Cavan, is ruled out with a grade one hamstring injury.
His loss for this game is a blow as his development has been one of the bright sparks to the 2022 campaign so far according to manager David Power.
“He has been an incredible find to be fair,” he said.
“Last year he was outstanding for Aherlow and he came in, didn’t start the first two league matches. We played Longford in a challenge match in between rounds 2 & 3 and he was super, and since then he has kicked on since the Sligo game and has been outstanding.
“His level of performance has been really good and I think he can get even better. What I mean by that is, and I know I was questioned after the league final for taking him off, but he is working towards getting seventy minutes into his legs, and that is where he needs to get to.”
His loss is off-set by the return of Ballina clubman Steven O’Brien who missed the entire league campaign with a groin injury but has trained fully in the last month and could come straight into the starting line-up.
Power might have no other choice to start him with Mark Russell ruled out and Paudie Feehan on the long term injury list with a shoulder problem, Stephen Quirke, who came on as a sub at midfield in all league games, is also a doubt with an Achilles problem which has restricted his training in recent weeks.
Another impact sub from the league, Cathal Deeley is also ruled out with a hamstring injury, while squad keeper Thomas Quirke is also unavailable through injury for the short term but is offset by the return of fit again Kuba Beben. However, there is a further boost to the squad in that 2011 All-Ireland winning minor captain and Loughmore/Castleiney clubman Liam McGrath has joined the panel since the end of the league and will certainly add to Tipp’s attacking strength through the course of the campaign.
This is a must-win game for Tipperary but also a dangerous one. On league form, Waterford are the poorest team in the country but one team they never feel inferior against is Tipperary, particularly on their own home turf where they have lost just one of the last five league and championship clashes between the sides going back to 2008.
However, forearmed is forewarned and the only point Waterford managed in this years league campaign was the draw they earned from Tipperary last January and with that near defeat still fresh in their minds, Tipp should be fully focused on the challenge that is before them.
To quell an underdog, you need to start fast and get the upper-hand and this is something Tipp have done in their winning run prior to the league final defeat to Cavan. Tipp laboured in the January league clash by being ponderous in possession and allowing Waterford’s defence to get set but the visitors need to get on the front foot and take the game to the Deise and they have the attacking quality from deep in the likes of Robbie Kiely and Bill Maher, through to the forwards in Sean O’Connor, Conor Sweeney and another of the leagues bright sparks in Mikey O'Shea.
Championship football is all about results and such is Waterford’s proud record in Dungarvan, Tipperary will be happy to get out of there with a win, doing so convincingly would be a bonus, from where the campaign would hit its pivotal game, a Munster semi-final against Clare or Limerick, which would determine whether Tipp can mix it with the top tier teams in the Munster Final and Sam Maguire Cup, or find themselves in the first ever Tailteann Cup.
The summer has potential about it, provided they take care of business on Saturday evening.