Form suggests that Tipperary footballers should be good enough to beat Carlow

The Tipperary senior football team will make history of sorts on Sunday when they represent the county for the first time ever in the inaugural Tailteann Cup competition.
Having been eliminated from the Munster championship against Limerick at the semi-final stage on Saturday week last, David Power’s side now turn their attentions to this new-look competition.
Introduced for the first time ever this year, to extend the competitive football championship season for the so-called weaker counties, the competition will be run on an knockout basis in 2022 before adopting a round robin format in 2023.
The Tailteann Cup is made up of teams who competed in Division 3 and Division 4 of the National Football League this spring (with the exception of Limerick and Louth who were promoted to Division 2, but including both Offaly and Down who were relegated from Division 2).
Action begins for Tipperary against Carlow on Sunday afternoon at Netwatch Cullen Park, Carlow (2pm), a game that must finish on the day, with extra-time and penalties required if necessary. It is a first round game in the southern section and should Tipp advance they will be out again in a quarter-final tie the following weekend.
Tipperary will be hoping for a big improvement from what was a poor showing against Limerick in FBD Semple Stadium, when the Treaty Men had an unflattering six- points advantage at the final whistle, 2-10 to 0-10 last Saturday week.
To blow away the disappointment of that defeat, Tipperary played Longford in a challenge game in Stradbally (Laois) on Saturday evening last, and will be hoping that the focus of this young team will be at its sharpest for the trip to Carlow on Sunday.
With 11 championship debutants introduced for the games against Waterford and Limerick, the absence of such experienced players as Bill Maher, Kevin Fahey and Robbie Kiely ultimately proved too much of a weight for Tipperary to carry at the end of the day against Limerick.
The latest news from the camp is that Bill Maher will be out for some time, while Robbie Kiely is training again but remains doubtful, while Kevin Fahey is a bit more hopeful and is seen as 50-50 to start against the Leinster side.
Mark Russell, who only returned from injury to play against Limerick, has since benefitted from the two games and training sessions, and the recently- returned Steven O’Brien will also have benefited from his 35 minutes or so against Limerick. There is good news also in that Jack Kennedy has recovered from a knock in the Limerick game, and also that Paudie Feehan is back training, having picked up a bad shoulder injury during the league win against Sligo in Thurles.

Tipperary and Carlow only met a few weeks ago in the penultimate round of Division 4, with Tipp coming out on top by 2-16 to 0-11 in Thurles. Carlow eventually finished seventh in the division, picking up just three points from their seven games, which came from a win at home to Waterford, and a draw at home to Wexford. In the first round of the Leinster Championship they were hammered by Louth, 5-10 to 0-10.

On that line of form, the expectation will be that Tipperary, if the hearts and minds are fully in it with this new adventure, should be good enough to prevail. And if they do it may very well set them up for a welcome run in this competition, providing extra competitive games for David Power’s side that continues on that transition.

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