Tipperary minors stay on track for football and hurling double

Tipperary 0-11 Kildare 0-9

A Tipperary minor football and hurling double perhaps? "Well sure, there is nobody else going to do it," coach Charlie McKeever tells us with a smirk.

"Look, on that, I think the hardest part was always going to be around that clutch of matches of the Munster final [include the Leaving Certificate] and that was a struggle. We are out of each other's way a little bit and I feel the adrenaline that is there from the (hurling) semi-final carried us through today. The big talkers on the team other than Danny Owens the captain are the duals.

“The adrenaline gained from today will carry them through to next week. They are young lads, they are ready to roll . . . If they win next week that rush will carry them through again.”

The eight dual players facing Galway next Sunday are Jack Skehan, Tommy Lowry, Emmett "The Warrior" Moloney, Tommy Nolan, Alan Tynan, Ross Peters, Brian McGrath and Stephen Quirke.

This was a game of lost goals. They were nowhere to be found and now never will. Tipperary teenagers would forever regret their three missed chances if Kildare had slipped out the Cusack stand exit with victory in this All-Ireland minor semi-final.

Kildare's late chance fell to centre back and co-captain Shea Ryan. He missed so Tipp survived to get another dance with Kerry but this time on the third Sunday in September. Just as the big house is filling up with green and gold.

Tynan contribution

It’s the continued rise of Tipp football then. That’s presuming hurling will somehow not prevail in the Premier land or that Tynan doesn’t flee back to rugby.

Tynan's story is a good one. Outhalf on the Roscrea side that beat all the odds when capturing the Leinster Schools Cup in March, he's a fine athlete, kicking 0-3 here, including a beauty from play.

Jack Kennedy was better still, hitting 0-4 from midfield to atone for a disappointing Munster final performance. They also survived the sending off of Moloney for a second yellow card.

“Emmet said it wasn’t him so it could be a case of mistaken identity,” said McKeever. “Emmet Moloney’s a warrior; a dual player, he’s been injured but he came back in today. He was the last man to speak in the dressingroom before we left. I tell ya, if everybody has his character we’d be flying.”

The score that mattered most was point number 11 from Stephen Quirke - the hurling captain – who shook off injury to make the latest of impacts.

Now McKeever turns his focus to out-witting Jack O’Connor. “Kerry are the benchmark. We all know that. All-Ireland champions. Jack O’Connor a legendary manager is with them. But we have an opportunity and that’s all we want.”

And they have all those hurlers.

TIPPERARY: C Manton; T Fitzgerald, J Skehan, T Lowry; D Owens, L Fahy, D Moloney; J Kennedy (0-4, one free, 45), T Nolan; A Buckley (0-1), A Tynan (0-3), C English; R Peters, B McGrath (0-1), B Martin (0-1). Subs: S Quirke (0-1) for R Peters (27 mins), J Bergin for C English (44 mins), M Irwin for B Martin (50 mins)M Kehoe for A Buckley (54 mins), G Whelan for L Fahy (62 mins). KILDARE: D Campbell; R Slattery, M Joyce, D Lawlor; S Healy, S Ryan, G Burke; D Courtney, R Feely; C Hartley (0-2), E O'Donoghue, B McLoughlin; C Kelly (0-4, all frees), M Kelly (0-1), J Hyland (0-2, frees). Substitutions: K Flynn for C Kelly (27 mins), R Bannon for R Slattery, K O'Callaghan for E O'Donoghue (both 56 mins), A Murphy for C Kelly (59 mins). Referee: N Mooney (Cavan).