"We can’t look too far ahead but it is looking promising," says Tipp manager after Cavan win

Tipperary football manager David Power was understandably beaming from ear to ear following last Sunday’s win over Cavan, a victory that should go a long way towards ensuring an immediate return to Division 3 for his side for 2022, making up for the huge disappointment of relegation last year. The significance of the success was noted.

Speaking immediately after Sunday's game he said:

“Look it was huge,” he began. “In Tipp football, we don’t make things easy for ourselves. The first two games weren’t good enough, and at the same time we are not getting carried away (now that Tipperary have won the last three on the bounce). This is still a work in progress. There are still a lot of new lads and, by God, we are dealing with a group of players that really want to play football for Tipp. You could see that today, our tackling and turnovers were incredible and some of the scores that we got were great. We are not going to get carried away, we have to motor on and get ready for next Sunday,” he said.

To many it looked like an even better performance than the win over Sligo in Thurles three weeks ago, and the Tipp manager agreed with that assessment.

“Yes, Cavan are better than Sligo,” he concurred. “It was just incredible. You can’t beat winning. I said that last Sunday when we weren’t really at it (against Wexford), but we got the win. I said to myself leaving Wexford last weekend that winning in Wexford might be the vital win that gets us back to Division 3.” 

Tipperary showed tremendous character right throughout, overcoming setbacks like Bill Maher’s early black card and a deflating goal conceded right on half-time, but they never relented. That heart shown by his charges gave the Tipp manager great encouragement.

“That was the sign of our character and that’s why I got them into a huddle before we went in at half-time. I said to them don’t let that goal define this game. There are other games, other days, where that score could have been the winning score for Cavan but our lads were really good in the second half,” declared David Power.

While it was a low scoring game - nine of the twenty scores coming from frees - it nonetheless provided plenty of goalscoring chances at both ends. The Tipperary defence keeping Cavan scoreless from play throughout the whole of the second half. Tipp too created a couple of goal chances of their own also that might have been converted with a bit more composure shown.

“I would say we had the same amount of goal chances. Cavan are a good team and you are not going to deny them.  We defended well. I thought Colm O’Shaughnessy and Conal Kennedy were just incredible and Michael O’Reilly in goals. Their number 11 (Gearóid McKiernan) is one of the best forwards in the country, never mind Cavan and Colm O’Shaughnessy held him to no score from play. For them not to score from play in the second half and to concede only 1-7 to them, here in Cavan, is incredible,” pointed out the Tipp boss.

Overall then it was a great day at the office for Tipp, the county recording a third win from three visits to Breffni Park in the past 13 years.

“Touch wood, we have no injuries to report  from today. Mark Russell was really good today and Stephen Quirke came in and did a job.  We are building a squad of players. Cathal Deely came on. Mikey O’Shea was after running himself into the ground before he came off. It was just incredible and I am so proud of the players. We have put the tools in place but they are doing the work,” acknowledged David Power.

Magnificent Tipperary fully deserve stunning victory in Cavan

So amazingly after three weekend wins in a row it is now back into Tipperary’s hands to grab promotion and the opportunity couldn’t be more enticing with two home fixtures remaining.

“We have a great chance now, we’ll take it game by game. Carlow first and we have to keep playing. We have to concentrate on ourselves and get two points. Don’t let this slip through our hands again,” he cautioned.

Overall the weekend has been all positive both on and off the field and the manager was pleased with every aspect of it and what it might bring to the team going forward.

“This weekend could be the making of us. We stayed in Dublin last night and had a good night, with a lot of laughter. You could sense it this morning that we were going to do something and they did. We can’t look too far ahead but it is looking promising and they are coming good and my back room team have been excellent also, he concluded.