We have to start learning fast - Fitzgerald

By Shane Brophy

Tipperary manager Niall Fitzgerald had mixed emotions despite seeing his side conjure up a late rally to earn a share of the points with Longford on Sunday.

“The first half we felt we put ourselves in a really good position against the wind. It was a difficult breeze to play against and I thought we did that quite well,” he began,

However, “the second half performance we were very disappointed with to be honest. Maybe we should have ran the bench a little early to add some energy.”

Much like the London game in the opening round when Tipp were four points down also with time running out, they again managed to conjure up a positive result with injury time two-pointers from Cian Smith and Sean O’Connor bringing them back on terms.

Fitzgerald agreed: “That is two games where we have showed real character, behind and the death and coming back, and we had the last shot to win it as well with Paddy (O’Keeffe) being unlucky. I thought he did well when he came on and was a little off balance kicking the last one.

“We put ourselves in a position to win the game but just didn’t do it.

“The (Longford) goal they got in the second half, I don’t like using the word fluke but it was, I don’t know what else you could call it. That put us straightaway under pressure and gave them that bit more to defend.”

Tipperary would have been very pleased to have trailed by just two points at half time having played into the wind, and with their midfield dominating the high ball, would have been looking forward to the same level of possession again but it didn’t materialize which frustrated the manager.

“I thought they did that very well, competing very well and were rabid on the breaking ball which is what you need to be,” added the Tipp boss.

“I said it to the lads at half time that it was something Longford will come after half time and they did. We were disappointed that we got found out on the breaks in the second half.”

With the majority of the panel still finding their feet at this level, composure is a skill they are developing but the manager says they have to start learning fast.

“You can’t fault the effort,” Fitzgerald insisted.

“It is a big learning curve but we have to start learning very fast as it is another game we put ourselves in a position to win and if we were a small bit cuter and smarter in terms of working the score, we’d be possibly in different circumstances now.

“Some of our best scores were when we showed a bit of patience until we got our shooters in scoring positions and we didn’t do that enough. In division of the National League in difficult conditions, it’s not a time for everyone to be having a pop.”

The point leaves Tipperary very much in the promotion shake-up with three points separating five teams from second to sixth place, with Carlow looking away and gone in terms of topping the table with full points so far.

The next two weeks will determine Tipp’s league fate, starting with Leitrim in Clonmel next Sunday.

“We are still in it,” insisted the Tipp manager.

“Antrim beat Leitrim and Wicklow had a good win, and we still have to play them, so we are not dead and buried yet.”