Tipperary boss McGlinchey happy with his u-20s footballers preparation for Limerick clash

The last of the Tipperary inter-county football teams go into championship action on Tuesday night next when the under 20 side take on Limerick in a Munster quarter-final game at Semple Stadium, Thurles.

Managed by Tom McGlinchey, a former Tipperary and Waterford senior manager, Tipp will be hoping to do what neither the senior nor minor teams managed  this year in the provincial championship, i.e., record a victory over the Shannonsiders.

No stone has been left unturned in the preparation of the team for this clash and according to manager McGlinchey “we have been at it since March 1 and more or less it has been twice a week since. We are as happy as we could expect to be now with the game coming up next week.” 

Ever since the heavy defeat by Kerry in the Munster and All-Ireland finals of 2015, it has been a pretty bleak time for Tipperary under age teams, a trend that has continued this year when the  minors failed to make it past the round robin championship for the so-called weaker counties.

And the under 20 team who face Limerick next week have played second fiddle to their opponents up along through underage competition including a Munster minor championship play-off defeat to them in 2016.  

 “We won’t be paying any significance to the fact that neither the senior team nor the minors failed to overcome Limerick,” said manager McGlinchey. “We concentrate on our own preparations and training has gone well and we got in four good games in the national league competition (the Andrew Corden Cup). But that in itself is no real indication as to where we are, championship is a different matter completely,” added the Mourne Abbey native who led Tipp to a Munster senior  football final in 2002 (they lost in a replay to Cork).

  “The commitment from the 36-man panel has been excellent despite the great pressure they are under with regards to other commitments. The vast majority of our lads are in third level education, with another six in Leaving Cert and seven or so doing Transition Year. It’s not easy to get full commitment all the time, obviously, but allowing for all the difficulties they have with their time we are happy with the work done,” he added.

 “We have a big panel of 36 with six or seven of them having played in last year’s championship (Tipp were beaten heavily by Cork 1-20 to 0-8 in Páirc Uí Rinn), including this year’s captain, Jack Harney of Moyle Rovers. Others on the panel would have played at under 15 and under 16 and minor for Tipp along the way,” concluded  the Murroe-based Garda, who also led Cahir to a Tipperary county senior football final in 2014 when they lost by a point to Loughmore/Castleiney in a St. Stephen’s Day replay in Cashel.

 In this year’s Andrew Corden Cup competition, the under 20 Development League, Tipperary recorded wins over Waterford, Carlow and Wexford, losing out to eventual winners Laois on a scoreline of 6-14 to 1-9, on the weekend immediately before the Leaving Cert began.

Tipperary U20 Football Panel 

Jack Harney (Capt.), Moyle Rovers, Darragh O'Leary (Vice-Capt.),  Ardfinnan, Aaron O'Neill, Newport, Adam McGrath, Galtee Rovers, Aidan Loughman,  Clonoulty- Rossmore, AJ Willis,  Portroe, Brian Quirke, Moyle Rovers, Cian O'Sullivan,  Clonmel Óg, Cillian Crowe, Moyle Rovers, Conall Kennedy, Clonmel Commercials, Conor Fahy,  Upperchurch-Drombane, Cormac Maher, Arravale Rovers, Darragh Bolger, Moyle Rovers, Dean Finn,  Ballyporeen, Diarmuid Mulcahy (Moyle Rovers), Dylan Nugent,  Ardfinnan, Eanna McBride, JK Brackens, Eanna Ryan (Mullinahone), Jack Dolan,  Fethard, Kevin Grogan , Cahir, Kevin Hayes,  Moycarkey-Borris, Kuba Beben, JK Brackens, Liam Cleary,  Borrisokane, Luke Fogarty, Moyle Rovers, Mark O'Meara, Grangemockler,  Ballyneale, Matthew Moroney,  Arravale Rovers, Mike Egan, JK Brackens, Mike Heenan,  Borrisokane, Paul Devlin, Éire Óg Annacarty-Donohill, Rhys Shelly,  Moycarkey-Borris, Riain Quigley,  Moyle Rovers, Sean O’Connor,  Clonmel Commercials, Shane Doyle, JK Brackens, Shane Lowe,  Moyne-Templetuohy, Shane O'Connor, Clonmel Óg, Tommy McDonagh, Cahir.

Manager: Tom McGlinchey, Coach/Selector: Niall Fitzgerald Coach/Selector: Paddy O’Flaherty S&C: Brian MurrayLogistics: Adrian Condon, Physio: Vivienne Glynn, Statistics/Analysis: Tommy Toomey.