Mullaney hopeful green shoots will soon flower

Tipperary manager Bill Mullaney acknowledged that the best team won in Saturday’s All-Ireland semi-final after Galway sent his side crashing out as they premier ladies never produced the performance he was expecting.

By Enda Treacy

“Yeah, I don’t think we got a full performance on the day,” Mullaney reflected at Pairc Ui Chaoimh.

“Galway held us, we played as well as we could or as well as we were allowed to. We probably lacked that bit of cutting edge in the forward line, but I can’t fault our backs or any player out there for the honesty and commitment they put in.

“I thought it was going to be a low scoring game and the goal was a huge difference to Galway and having that comfort against us.”

Aside from the lack of a desired performance, Mullaney was left “perplexed” by a number of refereeing decisions made, and while he believes the result would not have changed, he questioned the level of officiating on display.

“It didn’t look like we were ever going to get two or three points on the bounce but at the same time I felt some of the decisions that were made from the referee were crazy,” he said.

“Karen Kennedy got busted twice going through and we got nothing. It is not like you expect handy or easy frees but they were obvious. There were two swipes at her going through and we got nothing out of it.

“We had a player down with a head injury and I know it was accidental, we weren’t looking for a free. But that is normal, be it in GAA or camogie, the whistle is blown. Galway went on and got a point off of it.

“It might sound like sour grapes, it’s not. Galway beat us, they were the better team. Those things are player welfare issues. On the ground, laid out, helmet off and nothing for it.

“The frees were obvious. They should have been given, the head injury was obvious, the play should have stopped. He is an experienced referee, and he didn’t call it.

“Galway are an experienced team, and they close down your options. Finding that extra decision is where we are lacking.”

A disappointing end to what has been a positive year yet again for Tipperary but there is a feeling of what might have been for Bill Mullaney and his team had a few key players been available for selection, but the squad is certainly growing in experience with a number of players tasting action at this level to continue the progress of recent years.

“I will have to stomach this for a couple of weeks,” he said.

“We need to push through the door and get into that final. I would be convinced if we got to the final, we would have won it.

“Injury-wise, we got savaged against Waterford. Ereena (Fryday) and Nicole (Walsh) picked up injuries. Aishling (Moloney) had an injury from the football. Orla (O’Dwyer) going back to Australia. They are four super players and four starting players.

“We blooded a few news players this year with the likes of Clodagh McIntyre, Karin Blair and Mairead Eviston along with a few more that have come into the panel so there’s plenty of green shoots from today. But look green shoots need to turn into grass eventually, but I can’t ask any more of that squad.

“The commitment and effort, the honesty, all the cliches that come with every team. One through 34 they give savage effort.”