*Brian Lohan and Liam Cahill. Photograph: Ruth Griffin.
NO LEAD is safe in the game of hurling anymore, Tipperary manager Liam Cahill said after withstanding a Clare comeback in the latest round of the Munster SHC.
With twenty six minutes played on Saturday, Tipperary led by twelve points. By the sixty third minute, the sides were level but the visitors to Cusack Park held on for their first championship win since 2023. “In the game of hurling, no lead is really safe,” Cahill reflected.
“There was a strong enough breeze there. We felt we left a few scores behind us in the first half. That’s the game of hurling now, no lead is really safe, Clare are brilliant All-Ireland champions, they never give up. We created four goal chances against Limerick and converted two. We were fortunate enough to convert four today and we created one or two more. We have to take those opportunities when they arrive. I am really proud of the way Tipperary put their shoulder to the wheel to grind out a really important result”.
According to Cahill, Tipperary “are far from the finished article. We have a nice blend at the moment of youth and experience. The youth are finding their way, the experience still have it, it’s still a case of mix and match. We have a different opposition again next week and we will have to get our heads around that and make sure that we will be ready to go toe to toe with Waterford”.
Continuing he said he was “really pleased with the bravery of our players o the ball, compared to where these guys were. Our decision making is coming together and I am pleased we kept sticking to the plan, really embracing the work that is being done. I am delighted to see the players responding to what we want them to do”.
Cahill agreed that “it was very important Clare never went in front. We were lucky Clare didn’t hit the front at the vital stage. John McGrath popped up with vital scores for us. Look I am really proud of the way Tipperary fought to the end. The challenge now is to recover well and be ready for a Waterford team coming to Thurles next week.
Concluding he said “there has been bits of progression but it takes time and it’s still very much a case of a team still finding its way. There is still a lot to do to get to the real levels to compete at the top. We are going in the right direction. Today was a game defining game for the season. We are doing our best to go the right direction”.
