LAST UPDATE | 2 Nov 2020
SHANE DOWLING SAYS the manner of Tipperary’s loss to Limerick is what will be most disappointing for manager Liam Sheedy, saying they looked to be “almost admitting defeat” towards the end of the game.
The All-Ireland champions were outgunned by John Kiely’s charges at a very wet and windy Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Sunday, losing out by nine points in the end.
Unlike many other GAA fans watching the action at home, Dowling was on co-commentary duty for local radio and was able to identify key moments where Limerick exhibited a greater hunger for victory.
He discussed one such example on this week’s episode of our brand new podcast, The42 GAA Weekly.
“Mark Kehoe was going through for Tipperary, there was six points in it,” he tells his co-host Marc Ó Sé, “Tipp were on top.
“He was going through down the left-hand side, he definitely had 30 or 40 yards of space. Will O’Donoghue chased a lost cause and put him off. He dropped the ball. Seán Finn came out and tackled and they got a score up the other end.”
Elaborating on Tipperary’s off-colour performance, Dowling mentioned Davy Fitzgerald’s impassioned interview after his Wexford side were dumped out of the Leinster SHC by Galway.
“It was kind of like what Davy said in his interview after the Wexford game,” says Dowling.
The lack of fight for the last maybe quarter. They got a free with maybe three minutes to go when they were six points down, and tapped the ball over the bar, like nearly admitting defeat at that stage.
“In saying that, we beat them last year in the Munster final comprehensively. They went on to win the All-Ireland. Clare beat us in 2018 and we went on to win the All-Ireland, so sometimes a performance brings a few home truths that you mightn’t realise and could kickstart you going forward.
I suppose it’s the manner of defeat that’s the issue and the manner of defeat is what will disappoint Liam Sheedy the most and how disappointing a lot of his key players played.
“I suppose it comes down to the attitude of the players. We all make mistakes, a load of the Limerick players made mistakes, and especially in the conditions. But it’s how you react after that. Cathal Barrett gave away some lazy frees.
“That comes down to attitude and where your head is at. I suppose the day that was in it, Limerick’s heads seemed to be a lot more tuned in than the way Tipperary were.”
Dowling and Ó Sé also examined the other Munster SHC semi-final between Cork and Waterford, where the Déise dominated to pick up their first provincial win since 2016.
Dowling says he was left puzzled by Cork’s decision to persist with a long-ball approach when it was evident that Waterford were able to repel it.
“I think they were trying to play the same style as Limerick where their half-forwards come deep and they did come deep, but sure if they’re going to come deep, you have to play it through the lines.
I felt so sorry for the Cork forwards yesterday. They have come in for criticism and you can see why, but you look at Conor Lehane and Séamus Harnedy and Patrick Horgan – you can’t be a forward if you’re going to get ball launched in from 80 yards.
“I couldn’t understand how they didn’t change it up or didn’t change it up. I was disappointed with Cork.”
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