Fitzgerald looks ahead to ‘bright future’ for his Tipperary U20 football contingent

Tipperary came up short against the Kingdom in last Wednesday’s Munster U20 clash which signalled the end of a useful campaign for Premier lads in which they played six games, winning four and putting in positive performance against Cork and Kerry.

“We left a lot of chances behind us in both halves and when you do that against Kerry, you get punished,” said Tipperary manager Niall Fitzgerald after the game in Austin Stack Park.

Tipperary were five points behind the Kingdom come the final whistle, but Fitzgerald rued a flurry of missed chances in either half that may have put the home team to the pin of their collar down the home stretch. Despite that, he was reverential of his players and the effort they have put in this campaign and believes there is another fine crop of footballers coming through the underage system at present.

“Kerry did punish us. If you don’t take your chances against teams like Cork and Kerry you won’t win the game and that’s exactly what happened.

“They’re a good team but I suppose the disappointment is tinged with pride as well because the lads battled and fought hard.

“Jack O’Neill came off with a broken nose and came back onto the field; he’s a real warrior and that group is full of them.

“While I’m disappointed, I am excited about the future because these lads have a bright future.”

Despite playing against the breeze in the first half, Tipperary played much of their better football in the first period, using the ball well and picking their moments to release the kick pass from midfield - which has been a hallmark of the team - and Fitzgerald acknowledged that the use of the ball left a lot to be desired in the second half with the assistance of the wind; Kerry’s substitutes making a big difference upon their introduction.

“We felt our performance against the wind was way better but then again, I thought our subs made an impact. Daithi Hogan I think scored 1-1 and probably should have had another point at least.

“It’s massive. Look everyone knows that the seniors had a disappointing result in the championship and there’s been a real drain of talent over the last few years but there is a core group of young players coming and I’m very excited about the future with them.

“It’s not just the talent but there is real steel in that group. They’ve a fantastic attitude, very coachable and I think there’s loads of players in that dressing room now who will go on to have good senior careers for Tipperary,” he finished positively.