Ideal start but plenty of areas for Tipp to address

By Shane Brophy

CLARE MATCH STATS TIPPERARY

15 Wides 10

7 Frees Conceded 10

27/37 Own Puckouts won 23/41

26/44 Scoring Chances 27/41

1 Sinbins 0

2 Yellow Cards 4

0 Red Cards 0

A lot to be pleased about but a lot that needs to be fixed! However, the only thing that mattered for Tipperary last Sunday in Ennis was the result and coming away with the two points in their quest to be one of the top 3 in the province come May 28th.

Riding a six-game losing streak in the championship, the continuation of such a run can quickly become a millstone around a panels neck, even if the defeats weren’t under the current management. So, in that respect, a winning start for Cahill & co is a pressure valve released to a certain extent from where they can express themselves further.

For many, this game was billed as a must-win for both sides in what is the dog-eat-dog nature of the Munster Championship. That brings with it a pressure that some players can struggle to deal with but right from the off Tipp were in tune with Jake Morris firing over after fourteen seconds and Noel & Brian McGrath adding two more inside the opening two minutes, it highlighted how primed the Premier County were.

If Tipp were tuned in and relaxed, Clare were in complete contrast, particularly manager Brian Lohan on the side-line, probably aware of what was at stake for his team with a defeat, considering they have to go to Limerick next Saturday. Accounting for their slow start, they were making too many bad decisions, plus poor shot selection into a stiff enough breeze. Even when they went on their six-point run to cancel out Tipp’s blistering start, which included Jason Forde’s goal from a side-line cut which went all the way to the net from fifty yards, Clare weren’t assured.

Forde’s goal began a tough baptism of fire for Clare keeper Eamonn Foudy in his first championship start, and things didn’t get much better for him as his dithering on the ball led to him being dispossessed by Jake Morris for the second goal, while his puckout to John Conlon wasn’t precise as it should have been with Forde getting a flick into play in Jake Morris who still had a lot to do but his hunger for goals is unquestioned and finished expertly.

This was the Nenagh man’s 21st championship appearance at the age of just 23 but was arguably his coming-of-age performance with the quality of his finishing, but also his workrate and desire to take on the Clare defence at every opportunity, including early in the second half when David McInerney was reduced to hauling him down just outside the square. We wondered where the deliberate pull-down penalty and sin-bin had gone since 2021, particularly since Morris’ infamous penalty award against the same opposition in Limerick. However, this incident was exactly why that rule was brought in and referee Thomas Walsh got it spot on.

Arguably, Tipp were fortunate late on not to concede a similar penalty at the other end when Michael Breen impeded Aron Shanagher on route to goal, but that he didn’t pull him down probably saved him.

The way Clare play makes it difficult for any defence to cope with, such is their movement. They create a lot of chances, but their decision-making can be their Achilles heel. However, Tipp helped them to a certain extent, particularly in the first half where Clare dominated possession and were more threatening, even when they were nine-points down as the nature of the goals they had conceded was clouding the way the game was being played.

Some of Tipp’s last-ditch tackling was impressive for the most part, not just diving in, particularly Bryan O’Mara’s brilliant hook on Shane O’Donnell late in the game.

However, when they were opened up, they were exposed massively, particularly Clare’s second goal before half time which was a carbon-copy of two of the goals conceded in the same game last year when Mark Rodgers drifted into space to run onto a Tony Kelly pass and suddenly it was a three-on-two and after taking a return pass from Aidan McCarthy, finished easily to the net.

However, the manner of Rodgers first goal will most disappointing as it was just a high ball into the square, just like the goal conceded against Limerick in the league semi-final, this time Michael Breen failing to fend off Mark Rodgers and break the ball to the ground to two teammates, although credit must be given to the Clare man for the subsequent finish thereafter.

Tipp’s defensive shape is still a work in progress, particularly with two relative novices in Brian McGrath and Bryan O’Mara in the half back line, and both had solid debuts, with O’Mara in particular growing more confident as the match went on, while Ronan Maher, who had a tough first half, was huge in the second half coming out with some key ball. Johnny Ryan also had a solid debut while Cathal Barrett’s timely return from injury and his value to the team was shown in his man-marking job on Tony Kelly, restricting the Clare star to one point from play and as crucial, limiting his possessions on the ball.

At half time, you feared for Tipperary as Clare had dominated the ball for much of the first half with only Clare’s mistakes and Tipp’s efficiency at taking their chances having their noses in front.

But crucially at half time, Tipp made some key tactical adjustments, particularly going shorter with their puckout, and it helped in terms of getting on the ball more as the long puckouts weren’t having the desired effect throughout much of the first half. It played into the hands of the likes of John McGrath who was much more effective after the break, and he will have come on a lot for his 59 minutes of action at top pace after sustaining the Achilles tendon injury against the same opposition twelve months ago.

That better use of the ball helped Tipp keep the scoreboard ticking over with Jason Forde unerring from placed balls while the impact from the bench was also massive with Mark Kehoe, Sean Ryan and Conor Bowe also getting on the scoresheet while Conor Stakelum injected welcome energy after Alan Tynan had run himself to a standstill.

The timing of getting fresh legs in cannot be understated as all continued with the gameplan of going at the Clare defence, particularly Kehoe whose hard running led to a point for Seamus Kennedy and Sean Ryan’s goal, with his first touch in senior inter-county championship hurling, not even he would have dreamed of that.

The depth within the Tipperary panel, particularly in the forwards considering Patrick Maher didn’t get a run, and still with Seamus Callanan and Niall O’Meara to comeback highlights that Tipp have the scoring power to take them a long way in this championship, but they need to tighten things up defensively. However, it is a team very much in its infancy and should only get better and stronger as the games go on. As starts go, it couldn’t have gone much better. A lot done, more to do!