Tipp legend Eoin Kelly says there is no pressure on Tipperary going into All-Ireland final
Eoin Kelly spoke ahead of Tipperary's All-Ireland final against Cork
Former Tipperary captain Eoin Kelly believes the Premier County head into the All-Ireland senior hurling final without the weight of expectation.
Kelly, who lifted the Liam MacCarthy Cup as captain in 2010 and also secured a winners’ medal in 2001 as a teenager, says the underdog status suits Tipperary just fine.
Cork, the current Munster and league champions, are widely tipped to claim the title when the sides meet at Croke Park on July 20th.
Speaking on Tipp FM's Extra-Time, Kelly said Tipp’s mindset is in the right place heading into the showdown.
“There is no pressure on us in this final going in which is great but knowing the players and the management team inside in Semple Stadium they will be saying ‘look lads, this is a big chance for us".
He believes all eyes have been on Cork since the beginning of the season.
“All the pressure has been on Cork since the start of the year, they’ll talk about Cork getting to the final last year, I still think we have plenty of experience inside in that dressing room, eight of our lads have All-Ireland medals won already."
Kelly is confident that Tipp’s experience could be the deciding factor if the game goes down to the wire.
“If we can bring that game to the nitty-gritty final stages of the game, I think our experience could prove crucial.”