Tipp need to show greater urgency against Fermanagh
TIPPERARY v FERMANAGH
Semple Stadium, Thurles
Sunday, 3rd February
Throw-in @ 2.00pm
Referee: Rory Hickey (Clare)
It may be round 2 of the National Football League next weekend but it is already must-win scenario for Tipperary when Fermanagh come calling to Semple Stadium next Sunday.
Last Sunday’s trip to Meath was always going to be a toss of the coin variety in terms of the result but on paper it looked like Tipperary’s best chance of claiming points on the road with games against Armagh and Kildare to come.
However, Tipperary’s minimum aim of maintaining their division 2 status come the end of the campaign was always going to largely depend on their four home games, starting with Fermanagh, who drew 0-8 to 1-5 with Cork in a turgid encounter in Enniskillen last Sunday.
Win and they are up and running but defeat would see them slip three points behind the Ulster men who have been tipped by many for an immediate drop back to division 3 but under manager Rory Gallagher, while they may not be easy on the eye, they are very hard to break down with their mass defence.
And that will pose a significant challenge for Tipperary who struggled in terms of creativity against Meath last Sunday, managing just three points from play out of 1-8 and will be once again without talisman Michael Quinlivan who is set to miss most of the remainder of the league as he undergoes an operation this week on a troublesome knee injury.
“He has to have an operation on his knee and we figured that he has to do it now,” said manager Liam Kearns in Navan with Quinlivan set to be out for at least 4-6 weeks, meaning the round 6 game in Kildare is the earliest he could return all going well.
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