REACTION: 'We’re in the business of trying to win matches in Tipperary' - Liam Cahill

Coming through a tough away trip against an improving Antrim side was the order of the day for Liam Cahill and his management after a fruitful win in Corrigan Park.

Cahill was delighted to see a few of his untested panel players take their opportunity in what is usually a very tough venue to perform, and putting up a big tally to boot.

“Like every game we gave this match a lot of respect,” Cahill reflected.

“We treat every game the same and it is always a tough assignment to come up to Antrim at any stage of the year.

“For us today it was important that we rotated our panel a little bit and the players that got their opportunity really took it by the scruff of the neck and put their hands up for selection for the league semi-final and into the championship.

“So it was a great workout for us and we always give Antrim a lot of respect and I suppose that seeped out onto the pitch today in the way we played and acquitted ourselves.

“Let’s be honest, the game did lack a lot of championship intensity to it, there’s no point in saying any different.

“But still, I think our hurling is improving and I thought a lot of our decision making today was a lot better but there’s still a little bit to go in terms of our hurling. Our finishing and our striking, I feel we would have left a few guilt-edged chances behind us.

The likes of Joe Fogarty, Kian O’Kelly, and Sean Ryan haven’t seen too much league action so far, with the latter pair making their league debut’s in the match and their performances were very welcomed aspects of the game according to Cahill, and his comments indicate a level of forward thinking for the coming years.

“Yeah a lot of the players that played today are long term projects to be honest about it,” he admitted.

“They’re going to take a bit of time to really come up to the level that’s required to play intercounty senior hurling.

“But today was a good baptism for a lot of players and they’ll learn a lot from it.”

If offered five consecutive wins to make it a 100 percent record in the group at the start of the campaign, Tipperary supporters would have been delighted to take such an offer, and Cahill says he has learned a lot about his panel and he places a lot of value on what the league can offer to his Tipperary players, with a highly anticipated semi-final against Limerick to come this Saturday.

“Yeah that’s what it’s about, applying ourselves properly.

“We got off to a good start in the league and we got through all our matches with a lot learned along with a lot of game time into players.

“We got a lot of players back from injury and we lost a few players along the way too, but this Tipperary team needs the league to find out where we’re at so I’m delighted with what we got out of the five games.

“We approach every game like we’re going to win it. We’ll be putting our best foot forward and I think it’s ideal preparation a couple of weeks out from the Munster championship.

“Obviously the Clare game in Ennis is a massive game for us but I think the Limerick game coming now at this time is a good opportunity for us to really assess where we’re at and come next Saturday night, no matter what way the result goes, we’ll have learned an awful lot from it,” he said.

Asked about any possible learnings that could be taken from the Waterford situation where they won the league final last year, before flopping in championship, Cahill was eager to say that he hasn’t changed his approach one iota and dismissed any baggage from the way it worked out in his final year in the south east.

“What we’re doing this year is the very same. I haven’t changed one thing with what I’ve done with Tipperary this year,” he said bullishly.

“We’re doing the same physical work and we’re doing everything pretty much the same so, as I’ve said before we’re in the business of trying to win matches in Tipperary and we’re looking to get back to winning national titles.

“The league is there to be won and we’re going to have a right go off starting next Saturday night against Limerick.”
Overall, Cahill is happy with what he is seeing and he is hopeful of players returning from injury to help bolster the squad.

“We came through today relatively unscathed.

“Looking forward now to trying to get as many players back on the field as we can. Our injuries are well documented at this stage with the more established players in the likes of Seamie (Callanan), and Cathal Barrett on the way back; Seamie maybe to a lesser extent.

“But hopefully we’ll have as many players back and ready as we can for the end of April.

“What I learned is that there is a massive desire and fight for starting places.

“The newer, younger players we have in our squad might take a little bit of time to develop fully, are showing brilliant progression and we have a really competitive environment and I’ve said that consistently from the outset, that we’ve a healthy panel; and we’ll need it with what is coming down the tracks,” he finished.