Players believe in what they are doing - Kelly

By Thomas Conway

It must have been a strange feeling for Tipperary manager Denis Kelly during the latter stages of last Saturday’s All-Ireland senior camogie quarter-final against Antrim.

His side was coasting, well ahead on the scoreboard and on top in every department. And yet there Kelly was, strolling around his technical area, issuing instructions, advising substitutes, making positional switches. Even though Tipp had clearly prevailed, the boss remained laser focused.

He was wired, programmed to demand every last inch out of his players, determined to crush Antrim in the most comprehensive manner possible. His hunger for success is, quite literally, insatiable. And it is mirrored by his players.

Speaking in the aftermath of last Saturday’s victory, Kelly paid tribute to those players, but his assessment was typically analytical. He wasn’t dis-impressed by Tipp’s first-half performance, but he wasn’t satisfied either. The Toomevara native immediately identified the turning point - Cáit Devane’s quick-fire goal just seconds after half-time.

“The goal after half-time changed the game. It opened it up big time,” he said.

“We knew the girls probably hadn’t played to their potential up until that point, we weren’t working hard enough maybe. But we tweaked a few little things at half-time, made a few positional changes, and we drove it on then. But really that goal from Cáit opened things up. We never looked back after that.”

Kelly’s tactical acumen is unquestionable. He knows how to judge and assess a match quickly, how to read the play and make strategic adjustments in accordance with the flow of the game. Tipp’s formation changed several times - players moved from one wing to the other, the forward line shifted in structure, substitutes emerged from the bench. Eventually, it worked. Tipp found their groove, established their rhythm, and started to thrive.

But Kelly is also a realist. He knows that Antrim were off the pace, that Tipp will almost certainly face a greater test from Waterford come semi-final weekend. Still, he acknowledged that Tipp’s performances over the past several weeks have supercharged confidence levels amongst the players. The Premier are flying high, and Kelly is absolutely determined to harness that momentum.

“It’s definitely a help, having had a game like this going into the semi-finals,” he added.

“And our performance last weekend against Kilkenny was another plus for us as well. But our aim will be to get back here, to get back to Croke Park, on the first weekend in August. We have a body of work to do if we want to do that. And look, we’re under no illusions. We’re going to face much stiffer opposition in the semi-final and we’re going to have to be prepared for that.”

Perhaps the most striking aspect of this particular Tipperary panel is their sense of collective unity and purpose. They play with cohesion - they bounce off one another, the players know each other intimately, inside out. And it extends beyond the starting fifteen. Part of the reason that Tipp are thriving this season is their strength in depth. They have a plan, but they also have the panel to execute it. Kelly paid tribute to the work-ethic of his players, but also to the Tipperary supporters and the county board.

“The believe, the effort has been huge,” Kelly said.

“There’s a group of maybe 34, 35 players there and they’ve all put their shoulders to the wheel. Anything we ask them to do, they do it with aplomb, so you know, it’s a real tight knit group, and the backroom team are huge as well.

“We have support from all over the county, and then the county board has been massive this year - anything we’ve asked for, they’ve given us. So, look, it’s a real team effort, on and off the field, and it’s paying off now in terms of results.”