Sullivan lauds defensive effort in run to Croke Park
By Kevin Egan
It’s the perennial debate. Is it better to get a bye through a round of knockout competition and to be rested and ready for your opposition, or to win a game and have an extra match under your belt by the same stage of the event?
Those with a statistical background will know that drawing conclusions from anecdotal evidence is bad practice, but Tipperary manager David Sullivan and his backroom team certainly used their bye through the quarter-final round to very good effect in this year’s Premier Junior Camogie championship, as they travelled to Ashbourne last Saturday with a very good idea on how to tackle the challenge posed by Roscommon.
“We knew today that Roscommon would bring a serious workrate,” he began.
“I was in Clane to watch their game against Limerick and that was what got them through. I knew that they’d die with their boots on, and for 45 minutes, that’s the way it was. Once Jean’s goals went in, their heads went a bit and we kicked on then and finished stronger”, was the Lorrha man’s summary of his side’s ten-point win.
In particular, their decision to move Ciara McKeogh from her usual role as wing back and instead deploy her in a marking role on Shauna Fallon proved crucial, as Roscommon were starved of scores while their talisman was locked down.
“Shauna was someone that we had highlighted after she shot 0-12 in Clane, her last couple against the wind were outstanding. We tossed Ciara on her today and apart from the few frees, Ciara never gave her a sniff of it”, Sullivan explained.
“These are the sacrifices you have to make, sometimes players have to sacrifice their own game for the good of the team and Ciara certainly did that today, it was a huge part of the win.
“We conceded 1-9 against Cavan and 1-3 against Wicklow, so defensively we’re going okay.
“On the sideline, I didn’t think at any stage that we were going to be beaten, but when there’s only three or four points in it, a goal would have changed the game and brought Roscommon right back into it.
“We just need to work on the scoring element for the next day because I don’t know if 2-12 would be enough in an All-Ireland final against Clare in Croke Park. But like any semi-finals, there will always be things to improve on, and we’re certainly going to have things to improve on in the next two weeks. But it’s great to be there and we’re really looking forward to it”.
Tipperary supporters went into last weekend hoping that they might have a shot at senior and junior glory on August 6th in Croke Park, but after the seniors were pipped by Waterford, all eyes will be on this group, and their bid to turn over Munster rivals Clare, who edged out Armagh by a single point.
“We’ve worked really hard since last November to get to this. There’s a big sixty minutes ahead of us, but who wouldn’t want to be there, with the chance to win an All-Ireland final?” Sullivan asked.
Who indeed?