"You cannot fall asleep at this level," regrets Tipp football boss with defeat to Limerick

In his post match comments following the Tipperary senior footballers defeat to Limerick in the opening round of the National League on Saturday last Tipperary manager, David Power, had no doubt whatsoever as to where and why the game had been lost.

“We didn’t show up for 10 minutes after the second half. I was happy up to half-time and you can’t concede 1-3 like that the way we did. That ultimately cost us that match and that’s disappointing because I thought we looked solid up to half time and the 5-10 minutes after half-time, that’s what killed us. It just shows that you cannot fall asleep at this level ,” he said.

Another huge bearing on the game according to the Tipp boss was breaking ball.

“Breaking ball is huge, we’re not winning breaking ball and with a day like today it was always going to be breaking ball. And in one way for us to be so close, losing so much breaking ball,that’s testament to our lads, they kept playing even when things weren’t going for us we kept playing,” he said.

Always reluctant to apportion blame to anyone, officials or players, David Power was not in the least happy with some of the refereeing decisions in Saturday’s game at the LIT Ground, especially in the second half.

Tipperary's Brian Fox full-length dive was in vain as Tony McCarthy kicked Limerick's first point in the National Football League game at the LIT Grounds in Limerick on Saturday evening last.

The first half display from Tipperay had pleased him though.

“I thought we were comfortable. I thought we were putting them under enough pressure, they were kicking balls from out at the 45. I even felt at half-time that we were showing them way too much respect leaving them have the ball,” he added.

While Tipp had to field with an understrengh team the Tipp manager, bearing in mind the sizeable number of injuries his squad are carrying now, was not wearing that as an excuse to hide behind.

“We are after losing a couple over the last couple of weeks. I was worried about picking up injuries but I am not going to be blaming injuries. At the end of the day we had 26 men togged out for Tipperary today and they wanted to play football for Tipp. So I am not going to start saying we were missing this or that fellow. Ultimately if we want to get out of Division 3 our squad has to get us out of Division 3 not just a few,” he said.

And as to who might be back from injury for Wicklow on Saturday?

“I honestly don’t know. That’s worrying. We are going to have a lot of tired bodies there. I don’t think we picked up anything serious today, I think it was all cramps. This is not easy for players and I don’t think people actually realise that. Four weeks is tough going. It’s great to be back, don’t get me wrong but four weeks is too short, he said.

“I know I didn’t mention it before but we were due to play two home games and one away game. We were supposed to be at home to Limerick and at home to Wicklow. I don’t know what changed. But with two away games it was always going to be tough, especially derbies, we are bordering Limerick, we are bordering Offaly. These were never going to be easy games. We just have to get on with it now,” the manager concluded.