Scoreless spells a recurring issue - Ryan

By Stephen Barry

Tipperary manager Philly Ryan says players and supporters need patience as they bid to improve upon a heavy defeat to Kildare in the Tailteann Cup.

Ryan’s side played in patches against Sligo in the opening round, and that was the case again in Clonmel on Saturday. It took 21 minutes for their opening score, and they registered just two points in the final half-hour.

“Last week, we went to Sligo and we hit two patches, for 23 minutes and 28 minutes, we didn't get a score,” Ryan began.

“Something we tried to work on during the week was to keep the scoreboard ticking over. We're disappointed, but we know we're on a journey. It's progression that we're trying to make with this team.

“We have to be patient with lads. They have to be patient with us.

“We've looked at it all right. There's no set trends in it. It's just that we're a new team coming together.

“The under-20s came into us over three weeks ago, and we’re trying to blend them in as well. It's just a blending job. It's trying to get everybody on the same page. It'll take time, but we'll get there.”

The loss of vice-captain Seán O’Connor at half-time was a blow.

“He picked up a little knock during the week,” Ryan revealed.

“It wasn't that it was precautionary, but I just felt that he wasn't moving as well as he can in the first half. We just didn't want to take a chance.”

Tipp trailed by two shortly after the break, but two key decisions went against them at that juncture. Daithí Hogan was called for overcarrying when Tipp felt he had earned a free-in. Then, Eoin O’Connell was penalised for a penalty on Darragh Swords.

“The penalty was a big call,” Ryan admitted.

“I'm not 100% sure. I'd have to see it back.

“Daithí Hogan was hard done by. Maybe it's a size thing that he didn't get a couple of frees. Particularly, the one in the second half. They say he was held up, free out, he overcarried. That's what they maintain.

“Just a little unfortunate. Little things that go against you when you're the underdog that you'd like to go with you.”

Kildare used their size and experience around midfield to pen in Tipp for extended spells of pressure.

“They killed us on our kick-out in the first half. We didn't get our hands on the ball at all. That's where a lot of the damage was done,” Ryan continued.

“That's the area we’ll look at over the week, and we'll come back and freshen up for the Leitrim game. Regardless of the result, it was going to come to that anyway.

“The lads look like they need a little bit of a breather. We've trained hard the last couple of weeks.

“We are trying to get ready and we're trying to adjust our bodies for next year, more so than this year, if truth be told. They have a heavy workload.

“We’ll look at Leitrim and what they have to offer in a couple of weeks. Every game we can get is another bit of experience for our lads.”