Sheedy takes the positives

LIAM SHEEDY must be getting used to arriving to face the press as a winning manager, yet still facing questions about patchy second-half performances.

Still, the Portroe man won’t mind if this trend continues all the way until the first Sunday in September, as long as Tipperary keep winning matches.

Sheedy was anxious to accentuate the obvious positives as Tipp annexed a 38th Munster senior hurling title yesterday.

Back-to-back titles have been secured for the first time since 1989 and when Willie Ryan hoisted the Munster trophy aloft, an 18-year gap was bridged back to the last time a Tipp man (Declan Carr) lifted silverware on home soil.

Sheedy reflected: “We’re down to the last four and we’re delighted to be there.

“We have to be fair and honest, Waterford outhurled us for long patches and we were tipping the odd point here and there.

“Overall, we came here to win, we’ve won and we’re delighted to be back in Croke Park.”

Again Tipperary mixed the sublime with the slack, hitting 3-10 in the first-half and just 1-4 in the second period. Sheedy insisted: “I’d be happy with the performance of the lads, some of our play today I thought was top-class.

“We continued to struggle for that level of consistency right through but when you’re playing teams of the calibre of Waterford, you’re not going to own the field for 70 minutes.”

Tipp are now just one game away from contesting a first All-Ireland final since 2001 but Sheedy played down expectations in the county.

He said: “We’re not thinking that way, we’re thinking of the All-Ireland semi-final. There won’t be any stupid talk down in that dressingroom, we’ll very quickly get ourselves back.

“In fairness to the lads, they’ll celebrate tonight and they’re well entitled to, back-to-back Munster titles and the first cup out here for 18 years for the senior team.

“That’s impressive and I’d just like to compliment the panel, all the lads in the squad and the backroom team. I said it to them on Thursday night that the level of work that they put in over the last three weeks will be rewarded and thankfully it was today.”

Meanwhile, five-time All Star forward Eoin Kelly handed Tipperary a fresh injury scare when he was forced off at half-time with a groin injury. The Mullinahone forward scored 1-3 in the opening half, including 1-1 from play and Tipperary medics will assess Kelly’s condition in the coming days.

The 27-year-old forward has been plagued by a back injury all year which has required numerous painkilling injections and he revealed: “I pulled the abductor muscle midway through the first half. I couldn’t go on with it.

“I hope to get it right for the semi-final. I’m hoping that I’ll only be out for 10 days or two weeks but if I can get away from these injuries, I’ll be a happy man.”

Kelly, who claimed a third Munster SHC medal yesterday, added: “We came for the victory, we got that and we’re looking for a direct route to the All-Ireland semi-final. We’re going to enjoy this one.”