Fanning: We can let it peter out or fight for our lives

Waterford manager Paraic Fanning said his side’s burst after half-time “got them back into the game” before Tipperary took over in the third quarter.

“We just tried to get back to what we’d been working on. At the start of the game we didn’t want to be putting high ball up on top of their half-back line and we started well enough, we were getting Jack (Prendergast) and the lads on the ball, but then we started putting some ball on top of Padraic Maher.

“So we just tried to get back to what we were doing, using the ball and pulling the boys out, and we got back into the game alright, yeah. But after that we know what happened.”

Waterford were left to rue Patrick Curran’s first half shot for goal, which hit the inside of the post and came back outfield: “After that he got caught fairly high as well. We’d lost a man and I’m not sure if he was in the penalty area, I couldn’t really see from where I was, but he was definitely caught at that stage.”

The defeat leaves Waterford with two tough assignments left, at home to All-Ireland champions Limerick and away to Munster champions Cork.

The lads are hurting inside as much as everybody is over the result. There’s two ways we can go, we can leave the season peter out or we can fight for our lives.

“Did we go toe to toe with Tipp when we got back into the game? Yeah. It was only patches of that for us. When we play like that, we can match the best.

"We just need to do it on a more consistent basis for longer periods of the game.”

Among the positives for Fanning were Calum Lyons and Jack Prendergast, who impressed on their first championship starts.

“The lads played well. They did well. Right now, it’s a bit raw. We’ve to think back over the game and watch the video. It’s not a time now to dissect the game.

“I wouldn’t do it if we won and I’m not going to do it when we lost like that either."

GAA podcast: Dalo was wrong. Emotional Cork. Limerick's Plan B? Tipp back it up. Ref justice

Anthony Daly, Ger Cunningham and TJ Ryan review the weekend's hurling.