Eamonn Corcoran: Tipperary must rediscover winning habit

Eamonn Corcoran has urged Tipperary to rediscover a winning habit – or run the risk of being renowned as a team that can’t close out tight games.

The 2001 All-Ireland winner believes tomorrow’s trip to Salthill for a clash with Galway represents an ideal chance to get back on the winning trail.

Tipp have lost three of their last four competitive matches from winning positions in the closing minutes and Corcoran has warned a trend like that can become a mental block.

He recalled: “We went through a number of years losing big leads and it became a mental thing.

“Those doubts come into the head and when they’re in your head, you’re in trouble because it’s like a virus that can spread through the team.

“But we have a lot of experienced players out there who need to relax and get back into the winning habit.

“Some of these players are around a long time and have won minor, U21 and senior All-Irelands so they know what it’s like to just get that bit of confidence and believe that we can close out tight games.

“And if we win one or two of them, it will turn again. Tipp are hurling well, there’s a direct style there, getting the ball in and we’re picking off some nice scores.

“We need to vary it and it can’t all be direct but supporters need to see these tight games being closed out.

“We don’t want to be labelled as a team that can lose a lead.”

Waterford were the latest team to come from behind late and defeat Tipp last Sunday but in Corcoran’s eyes, losing the previous fixture to Kilkenny at Nowlan Park was more disappointing.

He explained: “The lads would have targeted that game at Nowlan Park as a tight game to turn Kilkenny over. But it seems to be a head thing in these tight games when we come up against Kilkenny, we struggle to put them away.

“It’s that belief with 15 or 20 minutes to go and that was more disappointing than last Sunday.”

If Tipp lose a third successive game tomorrow, the threat of relegation will come more into focus but Corcoran is confident the Premier County can gain a positive result in a repeat of last year’s All-Ireland semi-final.

He said: “Next Sunday is going to be important, to take on Galway and beat Galway.

“In the last number of years, we’ve had good results against them but Galway will be looking forward to this game too.

“I hate looking back because it was completely different hurling and fitness levels were different too but when we won the League and All-Ireland (in 2001), winning became a habit.

“We went into games never doubting ourselves, we could never see ourselves but winning.

“That carried on from League to Munster to All- Ireland. Kilkenny have it and Waterford are starting to get it, that self belief.

“But it’s not time for panic stations at all in Tipp. We’re playing good hurling and lads are playing at a good level.

“Plus there are some young lads coming through like John McGrath and Mikey Breen.

“We just have to make sure we close out those games and it has to start next weekend.”