Tipp must take the game to Clare in relegation decider
TIPPERARY v CLARE
Semple Stadium, Thurles
Sunday 24th March
Throw-in @ 2.00pm
Referee: Fergal Kelly (Longford)
Tipperary’s fate isn’t entirely in their own hands but they do know if they fail to beat Clare in Thurles on Sunday, their two year stay in division 2 will be at an end.
In a positive sense, it should focus the minds of everyone involved this week to get a positive result and then hope Armagh will do them a favour against Cork and prevent the rebels from winning.
Wins for the Premier County and Cork would see both sides tied on five points each and while the Tipperary would have the better scoring difference, the rebels would stay up on the head to head rule.
That Cork have to go to an Armagh side with the pressure off as their Ulster men secured their division 2 status with a win over Fermanagh last Saturday and can't be promoted, could both work for and against Tipperary but all they can do is look after their own business admitted manager Liam Kearns.
“It’s not totally out of our hands but we have to hold our end up, we are in Thurles and we have to win.
“Hopefully we can turn up and perform but Clare are tough and again, all these teams are at full strength, we are not,” he said.
It hasn’t been the most straightforward of campaigns for all the players they have been missing for some of not all of the league but if they were to survive, it would be as big of an achievement of anything they have done during Liam Kearns three-plus years in charge.
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