Managers insist focus on summer showdowns

It might be a bit early for team managers to be writing off the importance of the league but that was the case for Tipperary and Waterford in Thurles on Saturday evening.

First, Tipperary’s Eamonn O’Shea: “It’s February. We’re five months away from our most serious game we’ll have to play this year [Munster semi-final v Limerick, June 1 in Semple Stadium]. “We’re building towards that. I have no ambitions for the league. The only important game for me — and I’ll spell it out — is Limerick in the championship.”

And the league?

“It’s about getting a rhythm, finding players yes, giving them opportunities, and that’s what we’ll be doing. I wouldn’t have huge league ambitions but we’ll try to win every game, obviously.”

Similar sentiment — if not quite as definitive — from first-year Waterford manager Derek McGrath.

“We’re hoping to progress in every game, to see signs of progression in our play, ultimately using it as preparation for May 25 [v Cork, Munster quarter-final, again in Semple Stadium].

“The reality is if we can try a few guys, unearth a few guys and win along the way, it would be a bonus. We probably failed to do that tonight in terms of the use of the squad. We probably went fairly stable in terms of our approach.”

However, O’Shea was pleased with the win, particularly how it was achieved.

“Any time you win like that I’ll take it. People are saying Tipperary can’t win close games, I’m happy to win that. We didn’t play well, no saying otherwise, those are the facts but I thought the team showed a huge desire to win.

“Okay, it was a fortuitous goal at the end won the game and I felt sorry for Waterford in the sense that I thought they came here with a good plan, it was very competitive.”

For Derek, a mixture of sweet and sour. Sweet in the way his injury-hit team knuckled down to the challenge of taking on hot favourites Tipperary in their own house, sour the way it finished with outstanding keeper Stephen O’Keeffe, perhaps blinded by the floodlights, letting the sliotar off his fingers, into the net.

“I was at a Fitzgibbon game on Tuesday and Stephen was absolutely unbeatable, made five or six outstanding saves. That’s the reality. It was a mistake and anybody can make a mistake.

“We make enough of them on the line ourselves. He’ll get over it. He has a big Fitzgibbon match on Tuesday [for WIT v DIT away] so he’ll refocus for that, no problem to him. Delighted with our work-rate and tackling, our level of togetherness and unity.”

Whatever about their relative ambitions, it’s not going to get any easier for either side next weekend. Waterford host Galway and Tipp head for Nowlan Park.