WINNING IS A GREAT HABIT SAYS CAHILL
LIAM CAHILL says he wants Tipperary to get addicted to winning as they chase a top-three Allianz NHL finish.
Second-half goals from Jake Morris, who finished with 1-4, and Sean Ryan helped secure a big win for Tipp in the capital.
Gearoid O’connor (inset) was terrific too with 12 points overall from the free-taker who also impressed in open play.
Dublin targeted the opening round fixture at fortress Parnell Park as one they could sneak a result from.
But they never looked like winning and a third quarter comeback only got them to within four points of Tipp.
Morris then sniped the Premier’s second goal and reeled off 1-2 without response in a devastating two-minute cameo to leave Dublin in their slipstream again. Tipp had 13 different scorers in all and hardly missed star attackers Jason Forde or Noel Mcgrath.
Boss Cahill says he was desperate for them to start as they mean to go in the league – with a win.
Cahill said: “We want to go after every match, absolutely. We want to be winning. You can’t beat winning, winning is addictive stuff. You just have to get into that flow.
“Obviously next season, with the way the league is going to be restructured, you want to be in that top tier to make sure that you have ample opportunity to prepare yourself properly for the Championship. So the carrot is there now, the top three teams qualify and we’re going after that as a minimum.”
Dublin played into the stiff wind at first and winced for most of it as Tipp picked off score after score.
Most of those were long-range points. Tipp goalkeeper Rhys Shelly and defenders Craig Morgan and Bryan O’mara took the opportunity to loft over scores from distance while O’connor was unerring on the frees.
Tipp deserved their 0-17 to 0-9 half-time lead and that late Morris inspired blitz. SCORERS - TIPPERARY: R Shelly (0-1, 1f); C Morgan (0-1), B O’mara (0-1), C Bowe (0-1), W Connors (0-1), E Connolly (0-2); G O’connor (0-12, 8f, 1 65, 1 s/l), J Mcgrath (0-1), A Tynan (0-1); J Morris (1-4), S Ryan (1-0), A Ormond (0-1), J Fogarty (0-1) for Connors 64, P Maher for Ormond 69. Dublin: C Burke (0-2), B Hayes (0-1), J Malone (0-1), S Currie (0-2), C O’sullivan (0-11, 8f, 1 s/l), D O Dulaing (0-1), P Crummey (0-1), F Whitely (0-3).