Honest Browne looking past Kerry test
By Shane Brophy
Tipperary manager David Power was not in a position to chat to the media following Sunday’s win over Waterford due to a personal matter, with selector Declan Browne stepping into the breach and he provided an honest appraisal of his sides hard earned win.
“For us to get our first win and it being in the first round of the championship is massive,” he began.
“I’d hate to think about what would be said about us if we were beaten today, and that is no disrespect to Waterford, it is so important to get the win.”
He added: “Anyone that is following Tipp football knows how poorly the year has gone for us this year. It wasn’t from a lack of effort or anything like that, but it is just the way things worked out. You can blame injuries or things like that, but we don’t go down that route.
“When the pressure came on, we wilted in all the games so for us to respond was good. Jack Kennedy worked the goal (Stephen Quirke) out of nothing, and it turned the game. Scoring three goals in a championship match gives you a fighting chance of winning any match.
“Is it a relief? What do people expect us to come out and hammer Waterford? We certainly didn’t so it is nice to get the win. I wouldn’t say relief, but it was important to get the win.”
Waterford set up quite defensively, playing two sweepers in front of the Tipperary full forward line which prevented the home side from getting the ball in long more frequently but when it did it paid some dividends.
“Our gameplan was to get the ball in long onto the three lads (O’Brien, Quirke and O’Connor) which we were being given out for all year for not giving it in,” Browne added.
“You need to get the right men on the ball to deliver those balls and when it did work, Steven (O’Brien) got a great goal.
“In fairness to Waterford when they came at us in the second half, and when they got the goal, you would be thinking at the back of your mind is this the same thing again but to respond the way we did, and we left a few chances out there as well.
“Tipp football is on a downward curve but to keep it on the up a small bit is great for everyone involved.”
Having Steven O’Brien fit again after missing most of the league through a hamstring injury was a huge benefit and right from the start he showed his class kicking Tipp’s first three points, before fisting a long ball to the net before half time.
“Steven O’Brien was an All-Star nominee a few years ago and would get on any team,” Browne said off his skipper.
“He has been struggling (injury) the last few years but we can’t afford to be missing players of his calibre, that’s no disrespect to our panel. If the Kerry’s and Dublin’s cannot afford to be without David Clifford or Con O’Callaghan, so we are no different.
“To have him back on the field, and he seems to be okay and to last 74 minutes was huge for him. He is our captain now in place of Conor Sweeney and it is massive to have him back. We have to mind him and wrap him in cotton wool.
The win sees Tipperary through to a Munster semi-final where they will come up against All Ireland champions Kerry in Killarney on Saturday week, but 2-time All-Star Browne is honest that their season will be defined in the Tailteann Cup.
“You have to embrace it. I won’t say it is a free shot, but we have to prepare for the Tailteann Cup,” he said.
“There is no point in saying that we are going to beat Kerry because we are not so we have to prepare and get as much out of these couple of weeks as we can.
“For me as a player, even in our worse times, I loved going to Killarney and taking them on.
“What will be will be. We just need to get bodies right and get everyone back and prepare for the Tailteann Cup.
“It is another leg on the journey. On the flip side, if we had lost today, we would have an awful two months. There is no expectation on us so we will train hard and give it a go.”