Sheedy calls on Barrett to be refereed fairly

By Shane Brophy

Tipperary manager Liam Sheedy has suggested that his teams outstanding corner back Cathal Barrett is refereed differently to other defenders.

The Portroe man has said some of the offences the Holycross/Ballycahill clubman is picking up his yellow cards for, particularly the first ones, are soft in the extreme and it leaves the corner back walking a tightrope for the rest of the match.

“He seems to be coming for the wrath of punishment at times which I feel is unjustified,” Sheedy said.

“Those things put you in a really jeopardising position,” he added, referring to the semi-final against Clare where Barrett was booked early in the second half for his first offence for what was a run of the mill foul, and was then fortunate not to receive a second yellow card later in the half for a foul on Tony Kelly with the Clare players and supporters pressuring referee James Owens to issue and second yellow.

This was following on from 2020 where he was red carded on two occasions, firstly in the league against Waterford where he was sent off for an off the ball incident on the word of an umpire, while in the championship against Galway, he was sent off for two bookable offences, the first of which again was very soft indeed.

“I could not get over the first yellow card,” Sheedy said reflecting on the Clare game.

“We strongly voiced the opinion that it was his first foul all day.

“I was shocked to see the first yellow card last year against Galway because the second foul we would have had no arguments with.”

He added: “Cathal is a really good corner back, he attacks the ball, is an on the ball player. There is no aspect of his game that is a dirty nature; he attacks the ball, he wants to win the ball, he wants to attack the ball, and wants to beat his man.

“He is a great corner back and is in superb form and is a big player for me on big championship days and I am sure Munster Final day will be no different.

“His performance the last day on Tony Kelly was exceptional when you think of the form Tony has been in over the last eighteen months, Cathal did a trojan job on him.”

This Sunday’s Munster Final against Limerick, offers Tipperary not just an opportunity to win a 43rd Munster title, and a first in five years, but also the opportunity to progress straight to the All-Ireland semi-finals and shortening the route to overall glory is certainly something Sheedy and the players were anxious to take this year.

“First of all, it was really important for us to jump the first hurdle,” he added.

“It qualifies you for a Munster Final which is obviously a big prize in itself, but it also gives you the avenue into the All-Ireland Series and the last six of the championship.

“We were anxious to go the short route certainly through the Munster Final and from our perspective there is a trophy to be won here. We have not had our hands on this trophy for a number of years so it is certainly something we would like to win. We see it as the second most prestigious cup that is available to be won.

“There is a lot at stake and we take this game as it is, as a championship final in Munster, one we place a huge emphasis on and one we have worked hard to get into, and now we are in it we are working to bring a really big performance and we know we will need a really big performance because the team we are playing are going for a three-in-a-row, are reigning Munster and All-Ireland champions, are odds-on favourites to reach an All-Ireland final already so they will be long odds-on for this final.

“But at the same time, we have great belief in our squad. Our team are really enjoying their hurling and their training. There is a great camaraderie among the group. I have never seen the group gel as well as this group, they are really working well for each other, and there is a strong panel there overall. Certainly, this panel is going to be tested to the hilt against this formidable opposition, but these are the days we live for.”

There is no hiding away from the fact that Limerick have had Tipperary’s number in recent years and that will be motivation in itself for the players to put the record straight, but Liam Sheedy remains convinced of the strengths of his playing group that when they play at their best, they can beat anyone.

“We are well aware that while we did win the All-Ireland (2019), they had our number in the Munster Final, but for long periods of that game, it was the last twenty minutes where we were completely over-run and outplayed so we are well aware that if this team gets a run on you and if they dictate terms and get good ball inside they will hurt you but we know what is coming down the tracks.

“We have great belief in our own structure and our own team. We are very happy with the way we play, and when we are on the ball and playing to our potential. We are a serious team so the focus for me will be on our performance and what we can bring because we believe on any day we play the way we are able to play and perform to our potential we are a match for anyone.”

Indeed, Sheedy feels the controversy over the penalty awarded to his side against Clare overshadowed what he feels was a good performance, and the adversity they had to overcome to achieve it.

“Some of our play in that seventy minutes was of the highest calibre,” he said.

“We were a team that came from six points down to nine points up between early in the first half and late on in the second half, and that takes a bit of doing, even against thirteen, fourteen or fifteen men.

“There were a number of teams that faced fourteen men and didn’t capitalise on it, but we did and maxed out the opportunity that ten minutes presented and that is all we can do.”

He added: “I thought the workrate of our front six especially for long periods in that second half against Clare, really gave us a platform to win the ball back and get the ball back into the danger area.

“If we don’t bring a level of work we simply won’t be able to match the opposition we play.”