Tipp your hat to Premier’s amazing quarter-final win

IT’S a sporting headline that’s not unfamiliar to GAA followers.

A back page banner declaring: ‘Tipperary trounce Galway to progress to All Ireland semi-final.’

It normally wouldn’t even cause a ripple in the GAA world. Nobody would bat an eyelid.

Tipp have won Munster for the last two seasons and are second favourites behind Kilkenny to add to their 26 All-Ireland hurling titles.

They are regulars on Jones Road at this time of year with most Premier County supporters taking the annual August and September trips for granted.

But hold on a second. We’re not talking about hurling here. This is the big ball game.

For the Tipperary footballers to completely demolish a footballing powerhouse like Galway by nine points in an All Ireland quarter-final is one of the greatest shocks in the history of the All-Ireland football championship.

Football in Tipperary has been in the doldrums for almost 100 years. The last of their four All-Ireland victories came during the War of Independence in 1920 with their last Munster title coming prior to the outbreak of World War II in 1935.

Football became the poor relation in Tipperary with hurling completely dominating the GAA landscape in the county.

But there has been somewhat of an underage revival in recent years with the emergence of some quality minor and under 21 teams. As many counties have found out in the recent past, underage success doesn’t always guarantee progression at senior level, however, Tipperary appear to have bucked the trend.

But the road hasn’t been easy. When Liam Kearns came in as manager at the beginning of the season, he immediately had to begin planning without up to half the panel from 2015.

Tipp’s best footballer Colin O Riordan headed off to the AFL with Sydney Swans, several more left for the hurling panel while others headed to the US or simply retired.

In a testament to the great work done by John Evans and others at juvenile level over the years, the transition for the new panelists has been seamless. Replacements have come in and €20 on Cillian O’Connor to score the first goal against Tyrone at 5/1 all of them appear accomplished and skilful ball players. At no stage during their victories over Cork, Derry or Galway have they panicked or seemed overawed by the experience.

They now face either Tyrone or Mayo in three weeks time and you just never know what might happen. Surely this fairytale cannot continue all the way to September??? FOR the fourth week in a row, Dundalk are again in European action on Tuesday night with the visit of BATE Borisov to Tallaght Stadium in the Champions League.

Last month’s away goals victory against Icelandic side FH has meant a huge financial windfall for the club with over €1 million already secured in prizemoney from UEFA.

However, another progression for the Oriel Park side would mean it starts to get really lucrative, by Irish football standards at least.

Beating Bate on Tuesday night would mean entry into the Champion League playoffs – a loss thereafter would still see them rewarded with €3 million and entry into the Europa League group stages where another €2 million at least would be guaranteed.

In the dream case scenario where the Lilywhites would beat BATE and then win the play-off, they would receive another €2 million purely for winning the game and an additional €12 million for reaching the group stages.

The numbers are mind-boggling for a side like Dundalk but Stephen Kenny’s men will know that they’re still in with a great shout.

By all accounts BATE were very unlucky not to score more than one goal in the opening leg but like Dundalk last week, they will not relish the long journey to Dublin.

In the corresponding fixture last season at Oriel Park, Dundalk failed to breakdown BATE to secure that all important goal with David McMillan spurning the home side’s best opportunity.

BATE are strong favourites to progress but the rewards for an unexpected Dundalk victory are huge with the potential earnings going into the multi millions. Another fairytale to continue? THIS week’s bet is €20 on Mayo’s Cillian O Connor at 5/1 to score the first goal in Saturday’s quarter-final against Tyrone.