Aiming to build on draw against new opponents
By Thomas Conway
On some level, Tipp and Clare must be sick of the sight of each other! They are two teams which now find themselves in a uniquely similar set of circumstances. Both are good enough to challenge and perhaps even overcome one of the top three sides. Both are thirsty for success but have yet to touch any silverware.
Just the weekend before last, Clare came within a whisker of a Munster title, forcing Cork to two periods of extra-time, only to fall agonisingly short in what was a truly epic contest. The feeling of dejection after the final-whistle must have been painful, but Tipp can surely resonate with it. They have suffered enough excruciating defeats to know full well what the experience is like.
If last Saturday’s All-Ireland championship clash taught us anything, it is that Tipp and Clare are at the same level, perhaps even on the same trajectory. They fought each other to a stalemate, and although Tipperary were arguably the better team, both sides will be relatively happy with a point.
There was enough in this performance to suggest that Tipp are beginning to rediscover themselves, to recover the form which carried through the National League. And yet they spurned chances and failing to execute vital passes.
Reflecting on the Tipp performance, corner-forward Clodagh McIntyre didn’t hesitate to acknowledge the anxieties Tipp held prior to this game. They entered it under intense pressure, off the back of an underwhelming Munster semi-final display. For much of the first-half, Tipp played cautiously, threaded carefully, but McIntyre feels that something shifted at half-time, and they suddenly became themselves again.
“I think, during that first-half, we almost played the game on Clare’s conditions, but when we came out for the second-half, we were like a different team,” she said.
“We played on our terms, like we usually do. We stopped worrying about what Clare were doing and focused on getting on our own gameplan right. And when we started to play like that, I think Clare didn’t know what to do with us. We were probably unlucky not to win it in the end, but look, a draw is definitely better than a loss, so we’ll take it and regroup for next weekend.”
Having experienced the full force of Clare’s running game in the Gaelic Grounds, McIntyre admitted that one of their first priorities last Saturday was to cut the Clare supply lines off at source. Both her and her colleagues in the forward line were assigned the rather difficult job of disrupting Clare’s transition - which forms the basis of so much of their attacking play. The process was physically gruelling, but McIntyre felt that Tipp were relatively successful. They gained in confidence as the game wore on, and by the time the final-whistle arrived, they looked assured and even commanding. While Saturday’s performance may not have been enough to earn a win, it delivered a psychological boost - one which Tipp sorely required.
“Obviously Clare have a very good running game - they pass the ball and work it up through the field very well, and their support-play is very good,” she added.
“So, we were just really determined to shut that down before they even got it going. And as forwards we had to put a big shift in, because that’s really where Clare start their running from - the half-back line.
“But I think, overall, this game will definitely stand to us. We learned the hard way that Clare are no push-overs, but we were far happier with our performance this time round. And that’s the kind of momentum we need going into the next game against Dublin. I think we’ll approach it with a lot more confidence now.”
DUBLIN v TIPPERARY
Parnell Park
Saturday 28th May
Throw-in @ 1.00pm