Sheedy: we lacked a bit of a killer punch
He lasered in immediately on where the game slipped away from Tipp, when Seamus Callinan had a second goal chance, but he wasn’t pointing out scapegoats.
“The goal chance — in fairness to Seamus, when he went for it I was egging him on, it was a similar situation to the Munster final but it was a great save. Micheal (Webster) was very unlucky that it got away from him then – the 65 then went wide, so we were one point down at a time we might have gone two points up. And at that stage, two points was probably going to be enough to seal it.”
Sheedy credited Waterford’s experience of the big day: “Waterford have been here before, they came strong at us at the start of the game, they were six-one up. We thought preparations had gone very well, that the lads were well up for it. In fairness to our lads, we went in level at half-time.
“They got the goal but we got one straight back to go one point up again. I thought if we’d gone two points up . . . in fairness to them, they showed all their experience and played lovely hurling. I don’t know what it was like to watch, it was fairly nerve-wracking on the sideline, but they cracked up 1-20, we cracked up 1-18. Maybe we didn’t create as many goal chances today as I thought we would, but credit to their inside backs, they played extremely well.”
The Tipp man paid a fulsome tribute to yesterday’s winners.
“Waterford are a class side – we knew that coming up, and nobody would begrudge them where they’re at. If there’s been a team of the last five or six years, it’s Waterford and I’d like to compliment them. We came here with all guns blazing and we just came up short.”
For Tipperary, yesterday’s disappointment doesn’t overshadow a season of progress.
“It’s been a good year. The bunch of lads I have, they’ve given me everything I’ve asked since last November. They’ll come back stronger for this. We lacked a bit of a killer punch, a bit of All-Ireland semi-final day experience, but you learn from that.
“I want to compliment everyone who’s been involved with Tipp, because it’s made my job very easy over the last 12 months. Naturally we’re very disappointed – we were well aware of the challenge today and we just came up short. My 33 lads gave me everything and we made it to an All-Ireland semi-final. When you do, it’s typically puck-of-a-ball stuff, and that’s what it was today. A disallowed goal, Seamus’s chance, there were times when Johno (O’Brien) went in the way he did getting the goal against Clare, but we didn’t get that goal today. The game hung on little things like that. That’s hurling.”
Sheedy accepted that Waterford have been waiting for their shot at Broadway andacknowledged his counterpart’s work with the Deise.
“We’d have liked to make it to the final – whoever won this semi-final was going to go in as underdogs, Kilkenny are the form team, but it should be a great final.
“Waterford deserve their chance to play in a final. They’re a great bunch of lads and credit to Davy, he’s done a great job.
“I wish both teams the best of luck.”
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