Mullaney happy with Tipp start

Bill Mullaney cut a contented figure as his Tipperary side produced a power-packed first-half performance to put a gritty but outgunned Down outfit to the sword by 3-16 to 0-3 in the opening Littlewoods Ireland Camogie League Division 1 Group 1 tie at The Ragg on Saturday.

The visitors were more competitive in the second half and Paul Donnelly was keen to mine the positives from that effort, particularly as he wasn’t picking from a full deck.

Tipp weren’t either mind you but they are further down the journey of development and Mullaney was able to introduce a number of new players.

Vaccine clinics this week in Nenagh

Claire Hogan, Casey Hennessy and Jenny Grace racked up goals in the first 17 minutes and that is something Tipp will look to improve on, having failed to capitalise on green flag opportunities in agonising semi-final defeats in last year’s League and Championship. 

“I thought it was a good performance for the first half in particular,” said Mullaney. “We really got our game going early. The girls applied themselves and worked very hard and that was the whole thing about today. Working hard, getting going and getting the League off to a good start and I thought we did that.

“We have to be working on everything but we are working on combinations as well, always supporting the player. We worked it well. I thought we took some great scores, worked through the lines and tried to be patient on the ball, and take the best opportunity that was available to us.

“Something else we need to work on is getting goals. We’re probably not clinical enough or ruthless enough. I think last year, we probably could have gone for or taken more goal opportunities and we didn’t and we suffered from so that’s something else we have to consider this year.”

Courtney Ryan was among a slew of impressive newcomers, slotting in at centre-back with Karen Kennedy awaiting a shoulder operation.

“Courtney is a fabulous player. We ran out the panel – we only had 21 so everybody was getting an opportunity today. And the girls we took off didn’t do anything wrong. It’s just we need to see everybody and give everybody an opportunity. It took them a while, those players that came on in the second half to get going but everybody is in with a chance and it’s up to themselves to put their hands up. We need to have options, we need to have girls looking over their shoulders, we need to have competition within the panel.

“The Drom & Inch girls will be back in the next couple of weeks. They’ve had a long year, they need a break. Fourteen months without a break is a long time. But at the same time, they’ll have to earn the jersey. We’re not handing it out cheaply. The girls that are there now are doing a great job and a great start today but it’s only a start.” 

Tipperary club GAA master fixtures plan revealed