Minor miracle needed for Tipperary footballers to stay in Tailteann Cup

Tipperary senior footballers head for Netwatch Cullen Park in Carlow on Saturday (3.30 pm) to face Wexford in their third and final game in this year’s Tailteann Cup round robin series.

Extending their competitive season beyond June 1 sees Tipperary requiring a win against the Model County while at the same time hoping for unlikely results in other games to allow them secure passage to the knockout stages as one of the three best-placed third teams.

From the four groups of four teams in the Tailteann Cup, three teams will advance from three groups, while only two teams will advance from another, to make way for London who join the competition at the knockout stages with just 12 teams remaining.
Having already suffered heavy Tailteann Cup defeats to Antrim in Belfast, and Sligo at Semple Stadium, the Paul Kelly-managed Tipperary side now need to get the better of Wexford, who have also lost twice, and hope that they can improve enough on their -21 scoring difference to try and force their way ahead of another third placed team.

There is little to instil too much confidence, or even hope, that there will be a change of fortune on Saturday for Tipperary whose only successes, so far, in this very disappointing year were a McGrath Cup win over Limerick in Templetuohy in January and an Allianz League win away to Longford.

Should Tipp do the business then their eyes will quickly turn to the meeting of Longford and Waterford. Like Tipperary, Longford start the day with 0 points and an identical -21 scoring difference, while Waterford, Tipp’s conquerors in Munster, are on 0 points and -29.

Trumping Wexford on the field of play in Carlow on Saturday, and the other two counties on the abacus, is the only straw Tipp can now possibly clutch for further inter-county games.

Either way, there would be encouragement to be found in a good performance, and if they can produce that on the day, one never knows what might happen, and a reprieve of some sorts might give us another day out in 2024.