COLUMN: Tipperary rediscover goal-den touch ahead of Easter Sunday showdown

A lot of attention had been cast on the Tipperary hurlers lack of goals in this league campaign, with only one Jake Morris goal against Kilkenny in round 2 appearing on the scoring charts, but those worries were addressed in emphatic fashion against Antrim last Sunday.

Both sets of management teams opted out of media duties after the game in support of the GPA’s current ongoing dispute with the GAA top brass over expenses for players, but even without that, Colm Bonnar and his setup will be happy with what was produced on the day, albeit there is still plenty to work on ahead of Easter Sunday.

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The use of the ball was of a much higher standard than we've seen previously, with Mark Kehoe and John McGrath latching onto bundles of ball in the game, with players moving into the middle third visibly having their heads up looking for the right delivery.

This was a major criticism, particularly after the Dublin game in round 3 in Thurles, where Paddy Smyth mopped up so many Tipperary attacks on the night, and this is clearly something which was addressed in the groups recent training weekend down in Fota Island Resort in Cork.

Brian Hogan returned between the sticks after looking on from the bench in the last two outings, and his puckouts were really on point all day, mixing the deliveries between short, long and pinpoint pucks into midfield, and it showed in Tipperary’s retention rate of their puckouts, which is an area where they were completely wiped out against Waterford in the previous round.

The return of Noel McGrath and the return of a much more cohesive performance could be a coincidence, but he was integral to the play for much of the game, and his intelligence on the ball and bringing others into the mix is vital, even if his legs aren't as mobile as they used to be.

Along with McGrath in the half forward line, Conor Bowe had a very effective performance, winning lots of possession on the ground, in the air, and proving to be a real target and is a welcomed occurrence, and along with Michael Breen looks to be the championship half forward line.

The biggest highlight of the 70 minutes has to be the form of Mark Kehoe who had an excellent 50 odd minutes on the pitch and given the right service, could be a big player for Tipperary. He’s a born finisher and he looks to be close to delivering on his potential after having a sterling Fitzgibbon Cup campaign.

While there were an incredible amount of positives from the game, the quality of opposition put in Tipp’s way has to be highlighted, and with Neil McManus not risked for the match, you would wonder how much Darren Gleeson put into the game with a relegation final against Offaly undoubtedly a priority for the Portroe man.

Regardless of that, a win and a confidence boosting one at that, was just what the doctor ordered and while it would have been preferable to get another competitive game under the belt with what looks to be close to a starting team - with the exception of Jake Morris - they will feel there is something to take into the next few weeks.

Tipperary County Hurling League results - Round One