Power backs Tipp to bounce back quickly
By Thomas Conway
Relegation is always a hard pill to swallow but Tipperary ladies football manager David Power describes himself as “a glass-half-full kind of a person” and he is already looking forward to next season.
He feels that Tipperary have the capacity to bounce straight back up to senior level but emphasises that “a lot of hard work will be needed” if the Premier are to achieve that goal.
Disappointing as last Saturday’s four point defeat to Waterford was, Power reflects positively on the performance.
He acknowledges that Tipp’s first-half showing wasn’t up to scratch but says that his side were “incredible” in the second period. Had they converted all their scoring opportunities and pushed on in the final ten minutes, they might have emerged with a victory. Power says that for a time, Tipp more or less had Waterford “on the ropes”.
Tipp now fall into the intermediate grade for next season. For the first time since 2019, they will not be playing top-flight championship football. But Power isn’t making any excuses.
“The way I look at it, we were relegated because we didn’t win a game in the All-Ireland series. So, we can’t have any complaints,” he said.
“The Tipp boss adds that he has “learnt a lot this year”, remarking that the season is “very, very long”.
At one point in the spring, Power was juggling three separate teams – the Tipp ladies, the University of Limerick Sigerson Cup squad and the High School Clonmel Corn Uí Mhuirí team. He led UL to the Sigerson title in Croke Park, while HS Clonmel made a Munster Final in which they suffered defeat to Tralee. He now intends to take a few weeks off, maybe fit in a holiday, and just generally recharge the batteries.
Still, the hard-working Tipp manager, who led the Tipperary senior men to a historic Munster title in 2020, admits that “conversations will still be had over the next while” in relation to preparations and plans for next season. He intends to be there, and is looking forward to keeping a watchful eye on the club championships as they unfold.
He feels that dropping down to intermediate might have certain positives, affording the younger players in the squad more opportunities to put their hands up and establish themselves. If Tipp can get a few wins under their belts, he believes it might generate momentum.
Reflecting on this season as a whole, he emphasises how much he has enjoyed the experience and pays tribute to the players.
“The girls have been unbelievable this year,” he says. “The commitment they give is unbelievable. And the support of the county board and all the different people has been incredible too. But there are definitely learnings to be taken.”