Improvements in game-management need when the pressure is on

MATCH ANALYSIS

By Shane Brophy

I don’t know whether there is a thesis in it but there would be an interesting study into the how and why, through the generations, the Tipperary senior hurlers are never more vulnerable than when they have a big lead at half time, and this game with Waterford is another to add to a long list.

At 1-18 to 1-7 at half time, Tipp looked to be back to their best in the opening period, full of the energy, tenacity, and crisp use of the ball, aspects that weren’t up to the level required, seven days previous against Cork.

With that element of redemption to go after, in contrast, Waterford were off the pace, and yet despite that they could have been closer on the scoreboard but for ten first half wides, some very poor indeed but they were getting the opportunities which should have been a concern.

What the Tipp management will need to look at in the coming weeks is the how and why the team aren’t able to reduce the damage when an opponent gets its purple patch. The previous week against Cork it was 0-11 to 0-1 between the 45th & 59th minutes which took the game away from them. On Sunday, it was 2-11 to 0-3 from half time to the 59th minute.

It’s definitely mental as the one thing that would have been stressed at half time was that Waterford wouldn’t throw in the towel and would had the slight breeze in the second half, worth 3-4 points, not 11.

One would have expected Waterford to take more risks in attack in the second half but what they did was pack their defence, crowd Tipp out under the breaking ball and then carry the ball into the vacant space in the midfield and half-back line which was alarming at times.

After being dominated in the middle of the field in the first half by Willie Connors, Alan Tynan and Sam O’Farrell, Waterford completely took over after the break with talismanic Jamie Barron setting the tone while under 20 player Sean Mackey brought legs and to the sector.

They got the first three points of the half to give them hope which would likely have been quelled on 39 minutes if Darragh McCarthy had converted his penalty, poorly struck and easily saved by Billy Nolan, admittedly two yards off his line and should have been retaken.

That could have stopped the Waterford revival there and then but instead it gave them added energy to outscore Tipp 0-5 to 0-1 over the next ten minutes to reduce the margin to just three points with plenty of time remaining.

The bleeding Tipperary are suffering when under pressure has been hugely costly so far and they need to find a way to stem the tide earlier, particularly when the Shelly mid-range puckout was taken away by both Cork and Waterford after half time.

When forced to go long, Tipp don’t have enough physical power to win primary possession regularly, so the best option might be to pull all the forwards out deep under a puckout and crowd it out, it might yield a possession or a free which leads to a score and gets things up and running again.

If there has been a positive from the opening two games of the championship, it is that Tipp don’t throw in the towel when the game goes away from them, they come back and outscored Waterford 0-6 to 0-1 after the 65th minute, similar to what they did in Ennis twelve months ago, however, on this occasion they couldn’t defend the final play to hold on for the win.

This is another area the management will look to work on is seeing the game out, starting with holding onto the ball, with Craig Morgan coming out of defence, he didn’t have to play a 50-50 ball into Jason Forde which gave Waterford a chance of getting the ball back. Tipp had numbers to carry the ball up the field or indeed drive it into the corner or over the stand for a sideline ball which would have allowed them to reset their defence.

Despite knowing it was goal or nothing for Waterford as Billy Nolan winded up to send the ball into the square, Tipp should have had more bodies back to at least crowd out a potential strike if a Waterford player got possession. Darragh Stakelum was the closest to Kevin Mahoney but more were needed.

A good point or a bad point? We’ll only know come the end of the round-robin but there is enough to suggest that Tipp can still get the results they need provided they tidy up some areas and reduce the damage done when opponents get on top.

The twenty-day break to the Clare game will be welcome. It gives players a chance to freshen and sharpen up. The returning Sam O’Farrell was the best player on the field in the first half, his vision ability to get on the ball provided scores but also opened up avenues for others as Darragh McCarthy, Jake Morris, Andrew Ormond, John McGrath and Oisin O’Donoghue thrived. However, only O’Donoghue sustained it into the second half with a superb performance.

Tipp’s bench again had a good impact in attack with Stefan Tobin, Darragh Stakelum, and Jason Forde all busy, and on the scoresheet after being introduced, but another big man option of Gearoid O’Connor might be considered as a fall back, particularly if ball-winning is an issue, but again, performing in training is what ultimately what gets a player on the matchday squad.

There was no sense of disappointment in the vicinity of the Tipperary dressing room in the aftermath. Yes, it was a point lost considering the strong position they were in at half time but also relief at not to have lost considering the way the game was going on the hour mark when Waterford had nudged in front, inspired by Stephen Bennett who was almost a magnet to the ball in the second period.

Tipp know what is ahead of them. They were in the same situation last year needing to win their last two games, Clare at home and Limerick away; teams Tipp haven’t managed to beat in those venues since the round-robin format came in. What a time it would be to break those ducks!