TIPPERARY MANAGER COLM Bonnar was left reeling after his county suffered their fourth loss in the Munster round-robin today and conceded 3-30 at home to Cork.
The Premier boss saw his team finish bottom of the Munster table and pointless, their provincial campaign drawing to a close in dispiriting fashion.
“We’re in shock. Our hearts are just sunk here. We didn’t see that coming down the tracks. We thought we were building something. With the Limerick performance, we felt we put a big shift in there.
“The first 10 minutes went perfect. We got stuck into them and started well, scored 1-3 and seemed to be taking our chances. Cork came back with a few points but we were threatening with goals and got taken down for a penalty and were in a great place. The next thing, it hit the post, went up the field and it was a huge turnaround.
“I didn’t see what came from the next 20 minutes and that’s what’s so frustrating. Cork played a type of game that if you’re a yard off their little combinations… they’re probably at that two or three years. They have a huge confidence in terms of how they played it. They were full value. You could see why they were in the All-Ireland final. They are a team who have a bit of momentum going. As Tipp people, we’re devastated.”
Bonnar refused to use the scale of change in the Tipperary squad as an excuse for their poor display.
“It’s very hard for us to understand. We felt we were getting a lot of positives. Yeah, we can talk about the six or seven players who have huge experience but we always felt that maybe six or seven lads got their debut, the likes of Mark Kehoe getting his first full year and one or two others.
“There was a big turnover but I always say that it doesn’t matter whether it’s your third or 13th year. If you’re given a Tipp jersey you should be well enough able to compete. As much as the turnover was, we still have 36 players who wanted to play for Tipperary and none of us wanted that result.”
Tipperary’s season is potentially not over. If Kerry win the Joe McDonagh Cup final, then the Premier will play the Kingdom on Saturday 25 June in a relegation play-off as they attempt to preserve their status in the Liam MacCarthy Cup for 2023.
“Yeah well look, we didn’t really discuss anything like that,” said Bonnar.
“We didn’t even mention that but I know that’s on the radar if Kerry can do something but that’s for another day. The Joe McDonagh will be played in a couple of weeks so we’ll have a better indication. At the moment, we haven’t made any plans. The players will need a rest, they’ve put in so much. They’ve given so much. They’re absolutely devastated inside there. It’s not the result we wanted.
“When you talk to the likes of Noel McGrath, the likes of Ronan Maher, the likes of Cathal Barrett and look, have they been in dressing rooms like this before? It’s hard to think back, have they? Maybe 2018 didn’t go well for them but they came back with a big play in ‘19.
“You always have to keep believing but Munster has just gone hugely competitive. Brian Lohan, it’d probably be his third or fourth year there and they’re building a head of steam. Limerick are together four or five years, this Cork team is probably three or four years in the making and then you’ve Waterford, they’re devastated, they thought they were on a terrific run after the League final win and they’ve been building for the last three years.
“I said this thing could happen very quickly and I still believe that when a Tipp player puts on a jersey, they should be good enough to compete well but to go down like we did today, we’re shell-shocked.
“But I think it’s important that the general public don’t…they’ve given so much, they’ve trained so hard. We need to back each other up. We can’t take any positives out of today. We can take positives out of a lot of other days, but today, no, we can’t take anything from today and that’s why it’s so hard.”
I wonder if Ramos will issue an apology to the fans too
@samstheman: Are you still banging on about Ramos
@samstheman: yizzer never gonna let that go are yiz??
@John Connolly: are you still banging on John?
@Brian Dunne: let what go? The man got himself suspended on purpose for this game & his team concedes 4 goals & gets dumped out of the competition.
@samstheman: I sure am
@John Connolly: you go girl. Knock yourself out
@samstheman: Its been almost a year since Ramos took care of Salah and you just can’t let it go,imagine how bitter you’ll be win Man City win the league
@John Connolly: it’s plainly obvious with that post you’re the bitter one John. Why bring Liverpool into it? What has that got to do with this? As I told you the other night I’m also a Barcelona fan. Have been to plenty of games there & been to the city loads too I love the place. Besides Ramos isn’t a very popular figure with many football fans.
I suggest with your attitude you find some place nice to go & take a week or 10 days for yourself
@samstheman: Ha ha ha ha,you sound as bad a Klopp with your desperate excuses
@samstheman: Ha ha ha ha,you sound as bad as Klopp with your desperate excuses
@John Connolly: bitter boy. As well as OGS has done since he’s come in. You can even bring yourself to comment on his work. You spend all your time on Liverpool threads or on threads nothing to do with Liverpool but still bring them into it. Says plenty about you Johnny but as I’ve said before it’s best summed up as you being bitter end of story
@samstheman: keep on digging that hole for yourself,why did you bring Man Utd into it,you’re obsessed with them
@John Connolly: to highlight how completely sad you are John. A united fan who only posts Liverpool related content
@John Connolly: Do you think Ramos made the right decision getting himself banned for last night’s match?
@samstheman: You’re the one who brought up Man Utd
@The Bloody Nine: Of course not but even if he was playing Madrid probably still would have lost
@John Connolly: so why are you having this pointless argument with someone you agree with?
@The Bloody Nine: Because he has been harping on about Ramos since the champions league final last year
@John Connolly: go ahead and post what I said in relation to the champions league final John? Or I could save you the trouble, I said Bales goal was good enough to win any final. Liverpool weren’t good enough. Obviously it was a while ago, so if you have any proof of my making any reference to Ramos other than last week, fire it up there. Thanks.
@samstheman: Are you trying to convince me or convince yourself that you’re still bitter over Ramos,that’s why no one wants Liverpool to win anything when all the sh@te ye talk
@John Connolly: that’s fine John if you could show where I’ve been banging on about Ramos for a year I’d appreciate that. Thanks pal
Real Madrid and Amazing fans in the same sentence…. ffs.. laughable
I’m sorry ye are such bellends, he should have said.!!
Madrid are falling to pieces. Chelsea are the real winners though – cant see Hazard going to that team
@John:
Doubt he’d stay at Chelsea either.
@John: PSG it is so