GAA Digest: Ordinary Tipperary better than Waterford

Tipperary are through to the All-Ireland semifinal

“That was as tight as it gets now. We wouldn’t have got out of there but for Darren O’Sullivan’s goal. We obviously have a lot of room to improve.”

Dejected Westmeath boss Pat Flanagan knows well how close his team came to a big upset.
Flanagan said, “It was an opportunity missed there is no two ways about it, but it was a little bit if inexperience and fatigue as well.

“We put in a huge effort in the first half and didn’t have the legs to keep going at that pace.”
Flanagan and Westmeath were angry with some dubious refereeing decisions on the day, particularly in the build-up to O’Sullivan’s goal when a quick free from Colm Cooper proved crucial.
 

Antrim Shocks

ANTRIM caused one of the biggest shocks of the season when they knocked a fancied Galway side out of the All-Ireland football qualifiers in Belfast on Saturday by a score of 0-11 to 0-10.

But home team captain Aodhán Gallagher said afterwards that his teammates always believed they could pull off a surprise win.

“We knew coming in we had a great chance,” Gallagher told RTE Radio after a one point win.

“Galway played really well against Roscommon, but we looked at how they played against Sligo and we thought that this was a team we could get at.”

With Tipperary next up in the qualifiers, Gallagher is looking to build on the win over Galway.

He added, “We knew from the beginning that we were very strong, and we have proved over the last few years that we are there or thereabouts.

“It’s about time we delivered on that, and hopefully we showed today that we are nearly there. Games like this are what make the GAA the thing that it is. There are 34 teams and anybody can beat anybody.”
 
Laois Wins

FIRST half goals from Colm Kelly and Brendan Quigley proved decisive as Laois beat Monaghan by six points to advance to the next round of the All-Ireland qualifiers and a trip to play Leitrim.
In contrast, Monaghan boss Eamon McEneaney quit his role after the game.

“I did indicate to the county chairman that if we even had got to the Ulster final and won it I wouldn’t be going on for the next year or the year after,” said McEneaney.

“It’s a long-term job now and from what I have seen in the last 12 months I felt it would take someone else to take it on for the next three years.
“I’m just not in a position to do that. I have a family and my own lad Jim is playing senior inter-county football for Louth.”

Laois coach Justin McNulty was in happier mood and said, “It’s been a while coming, the sort of performance we have been seeking for two years now.”
 
Mayo Wins

MAYO boss James Horan saw little to excite the crowd in his team’s Connacht final 0-12 to 0-10 win over Sligo on Sunday, but he was happy with the result.

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Nster.com