Tipperary boss Cahill believes his team are 'heading in the right direction' after Ennis win

A day where so much was on the line for Tipperary and Liam Cahill ended in very positive fashion last Saturday evening, with no shortage of heart-stopping and anxious moments, particularly in the second half.

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The overriding emotion for the Tipperary manager was relief that his team is still alive and kicking in this year’s Munster Championship.

“Yes, well, look, we're really delighted to be still in the Munster Championship, Cahill said happily.

“That was what it was about today, I suppose, coming up here, taking us to the home of the All-Ireland champions and trying to get a result, first and foremost.

“It’s a really, really tough place to come, as you can see from today's game. It was a ferocious battle. Clare showed all their traits as champions today, like they never went away.

The Clare challenge looked to be critical late on from a Tipperary perspective and with the challenge that faced the players, Cahill was delighted that they responded to the pressure and found a way to win.

“Everybody’s singing off the same hymn sheet. Today was a defining game, obviously, for our season. For me, as well, it was important at the end of it that the green shoots continued to prosper today.

“That’s really what it was. It’s just a little bit of reassurance that while it’s not perfect, we’re still doing our best to go in the right direction,” he said. 

It was a rounded, team performance with an encouraging mixture of the experienced and newer figures stepping up to the challenge when the game was there to be won in the latter stages; but none more so than John McGrath, who has seemingly entered a renaissance period in his hurling career.

“Old warriors, John McGrath, young Kenneally popping up at the vital stage to keep that little margin adrift. I'm really proud of the way that the players today in Tipperary fought right to the end and showed unbelievable character and togetherness.

“They kept their nerve, continued to make good decisions on the ball and ground out a really important result for us to keep the championship hopes alive. We're really delighted to be still in the Munster Championship. That was what it was about today.

Goals win games, and that was never more evident than in Saturday’s gam,e where the early onslaught from Tipperary in the green flag raising stakes gave a buffer that was badly needed going into the second half, with John McGrath and Andrew Ormond providing the finishes.

“Against Limerick, we got maybe four, converted two. The bottom line is we hadn't gone after it enough. It's something that's back in our mindset now that we have to take these opportunities when they arise.

“Today, we were fortunate enough to convert four and create maybe one or two more. We need all of that again next week if we are to have any luck of staying in this championship.” 

He added: “The challenge now is to recover well and pick ourselves back up for a really formidable Waterford side that are full of energy coming to Thurles next Sunday, so the tasks just get bigger and bigger.”

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