Tipperary manager Eamon O’Shea believes that his side can improve on their impressive ten points win over Cork as they prepare to take on Kilkenny in the All-Ireland final.
O’Shea has turned Tipperary around this season and believes that his side were by far the hungrier team against Cork.
A superb performance, especially an ultra-confident second-half display left the Premier county’s manager was delighted with his team’s display.
“In the second-half we just worked our way to the win and that’s the most pleasing aspect of it.
“I think we ground out a win today, even though we did finish up with a ten-point win, I don’t think there was any doubt that the team wanted to win that game and whatever way the game would have turned we would have won it,” said O’Shea.
Tipperary have had an indifferent year up to now and after losing their first games in the league they now face into an All-Ireland decider against the same team that beat them in the league final.
O’Shea has backed his team throughout the tough times this year and he knew all along that the team had another big performance in them.
“Although we had a blip against a very good Limerick team who deservedly beat us, we were still very much together all the time so there was no doubt in my mind that we would go on to at least be competitive.
“I always knew that the team had a good resolve to be competitive and I think that’s what we showed today, a desire to get over the line,” he said.
Meanwhile, Jimmy Barry-Murphy has come to the end of his three-year term as Cork boss and he was nostalgic following the defeat.
“I’m just very, very disappointed that we didn’t break anywhere near the game we wanted to bring to Tipperary today and I’m very disappointed for the players and supporters.
“The lads have been great for us over the last couple of years and we’ve all had days like this when it doesn’t really go for you and that’s the reality of sport,” said Barry-Murphy.