Mullaney pleased with battling performance

Tipperary manager Bill Mullaney cut a satisfied figure in the aftermath of his sides excellent win over Waterford and was particularly delighted with the level of grit and determination shown by his side in victory.

By Enda Treacy

Tipperary manager Bill Mullaney cut a satisfied figure in the aftermath of his sides excellent win over Waterford and was particularly delighted with the level of grit and determination shown by his side in victory.

He was particularly pleased with the second half performance and effort against the stiff November gale present in the Pairc, and while the bulk of the positivity came in this second period, he was quick to dismiss that the elements were the sole factor in how the game panned out.

“We always knew it was going to be a battle,” Mullaney noted sharply.

“The conditions were just another thing you have to get over and credit to the girls, they did all the work. They did everything they were asked and more. Played brilliantly, worked really hard and into another semi-final.”

He added: “We over-analyse some of these things. ‘We need more’, and ‘A wind never wins anything’; GAA can be a lot of cliches as well but we were two points up at half-time, so we were leading.

“We knew the second half, like the first half, would be a battle and the girls stepped up and did their jobs and got the result. I thought the work rate went up another level (in the second half) to be fair. The girls really lifted it on the field. They were organised and the communication between them all was excellent and the subs that came on were excellent as well, and really added to it, that we could maintain the high intensity and high work rate all over the field.”

With a third consecutive All-Ireland semi-final secured and the performances now coming at a consistent level, Mullaney pointed out that while it is another good achievement for this group, they have loftier ambitions and will be looking to take that next step to lining out in Croke Park next month.

“Well sure we always did want to go another step,” Mullaney said with a wry smile.

“It wasn’t like we’d get to a semi-final and stop and say ‘Jeez we’ve enough done lads.

“The girls want to get to a final and they deserve to be in a final.

“Over the years, the work they’ve put in and the heartache they’ve suffered as well, no more than Waterford down in their dressing room today. We know what that’s like,” he said.