Complacency is Tipp's biggest threat, says Fox

COMPLACENCY is Tipperary's biggest threat as they plan for Sunday's All-Ireland quarter-final clash with Antrim, according to former All-Ireland medallist Pat Fox.

The Cahir publican, who figured prominently on the Tipp team which hammered the Ulster champions in the 1989 All-Ireland final, the year their “famine” ended, is mindful of how well Antrim played for long periods in that match.

“There is always the danger when you play teams like Antrim that you take things for granted.

“No matter how well a coach prepares his players for such a match, once they go out on the field he has no further control.

“It’s all about attitude from there on, and it’s the one thing I would be concerned about facing into Sunday’s game with Antrim.

“Tipperary will be odds on favourites to win, but must take nothing for granted. Anything less than 100% concentration on the job in hand and we could be severely punished.

“We are in a no-win situation here. A comfortable victory and people will say it was only Antrim, struggle to beat them and talk will be about how poor we played.

“The old adage about winning a poor game rather than lose a good one will be uppermost in Tipp’s mind on Sunday.

“It’s all about winning when you reach this stage of the championship”.

This will be Tipperary’s first outing since losing their Munster title to Waterford a month ago, and team coach Nicky English had has ample time to rid his charges of any lingering disappointment.

Fox also adds that Antrim will have a little advantage over their Munster opponents, with a Tipperary native calling the shots from the sidelines.

“They’ve have also got Dinny Cahill in their corner on Sunday and being a Tipperary man, that should add a little bit of spice to the fixture.

“Most of the Tipp team will know of Dinny and the tremendous work he has done for under age hurling in the county.

“He’s a very knowledgeable guy and if his passion for the game rubs off on Antrim, they’ll be very hard to beat.”