Tipp continue to pay price for lack of consistency

By Michael Dundon

 

Four defeats in six outings in the National Hurling League is not the platform Liam Sheedy would have asked for as Tipperary’s focus now turns to the Munster Senior Hurling Championship.

Last Saturday’s one point loss to Dublin in the quarter final was, with all due respects to Dublin who played well, self-inflicted. To record eighteen wides at this level of competition is unacceptable and invited the ultimate penalty duly delivered by The Dubs.

Considered in the context of similar one point losses to Wexford and Kilkenny, all to injury time scores, a disturbing pattern emerges that prompts the question, are Tipp capable of seeing out a game from a position of strength?

Tipperary’s win over Cork a week previously combined with the other results that weekend presented the Premier boys with a quarter final spot that seemed unlikely before that game. To then have a home quarter final, and to be pitted against Dublin, when Galway and Waterford were other possibilities, suggested that Lady Luck was smiling on Tipperary.

Having got those breaks however, Tipperary failed to capitalise on them as yet another patchy performance came up agonisingly short.

 

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