‘We’ve won nothing yet’ says Keating

TIPPERARY boss Michael Babs Keating was quick to put Saturday’s win over Cork in perspective, saying his side have won nothing yet.

“The lads have bust their asses on the field since last November, every one of them. They have pride in the jersey and that’s what we got this evening — but we have won nothing yet. We’re trying to establish Tipperary hurling and play the kind of hurling that our supporters want. You don’t fool Tipperary people.

Keating also reiterated that Tipp are a united camp, contrary to rumours circulating outside the county. “We know the lads, we know the commitment they’ve put in. I was glad to see what Lar Corbett said during the week, that we have a united camp and we always have had. I didn’t come to Tipperary to cause hurt to anybody.”

Keating also cited the contribution of his backroom team. “I’ve come across great trainers in my time but I’ve never come across anyone with the commitment of Brian Murray. You’ve no idea of the effort he’s put in, the effort Brian Delargy and Joe Hennessy have put in. We could have met Waterford last Sunday in a Munster final. We’re not going to let Tipperary down. We don’t have the hype other counties have.”

Star defender Eamonn Corcoran was ecstatic, saying: “It’s huge, it’s a great feeling. After Limerick we were down and out and we had to regroup against Offaly, and we did.

“Cork are a superb team. They’ll be there or thereabouts. The big thing for us is that it’d be nice to beat them in a Munster final or All-Ireland final — at minor, U21 and senior I’d never beaten Cork, this is the first time. But this is a qualifier, not a championship game, there’s nothing won yet.”

Cork boss Gerald McCarthy said it was hard to know whether complacency had played a part in his side’s loss. “We got a very good start, we were five points up and hurling very well. Whether we got complacent after that I don’t know but Tipperary got back into it. In fairness, they worked very hard and they looked far hungrier.

Asked whether Cork had lacked leadership, McCarthy disagreed: “No, it was more complacency than leadership problems. It was a tough, hard game and though Tipp were short a few players we knew they had young talent — a bit like where we were against Waterford in the semi-final.

“When you’ve nothing to lose you can produce a very good performance, and that’s what Tipp did.”