Fallout from Tipperary's defeat:Tipperary forward Eoin Kelly's fitness was under the spotlight yesterday as the fallout from the county's exit from the championship at the hands of Wexford last Saturday began in earnest.
Speaking about the issue on Séamus Martin's Tipp Today radio show manager Michael Babs Keating said: "I would prefer if you would ask Eoin the question about his fitness level. We had a struggle with Eoin getting fit and if Eoin wrote on the paper last week . . . he knows he wasn't fit.
"Let's be honest . . . Eoin got injured three weeks ago against Dublin. He was only what we regarded as 60 per cent fit at that stage. We didn't take any tactical chance - we knew Eoin isn't fit. And I'll give one bit of advice to the people knocking Babs Keating this morning - the one thing on my record is that nobody ever proved me wrong. All I'm asking Eoin is to be honest about his fitness level. He knows well where he fitted in with the fitness levels in relation to the rest of the players."
Keating also defended the decision to select Gerry Kennedy ahead of All Star goalkeeper Brendan Cummins. "The great problem we have in our county - and it's probably the worst job in the business to be manager of the Tipperary hurling team because if you look at Brian Cody, he left James McGarry out of the team, and he (McGarry) won three-All Irelands.
"If you look at Wexford, they dropped their captain (Nigel Higgins) and it wasn't an issue. You look at Cork, they dropped their captain (Kieran Murphy) last week and it wasn't an issue. Everything we seem to do is questioned and questioned and questioned.
"I suppose it's the old saying - there were still only five days between Palm Sunday and Good Friday. The same applies to us - the same people questioning all those decisions now were the Palm Sundays in Thurles last Saturday week."
This was a reference to Tipperary's victory over Cork on July 14th. Speaking later to The Irish Times, Keating noted the difficulty in keeping an amateur team together when they are forced to play seven championship matches over seven consecutive weekends. "That's the huge advantage Kilkenny have over the rest. It's like horse racing. Kilkenny players are kept on ice for long periods of the championship and then released for the big meetings."
Keating's two-year term as Tipperary hurling manager is over but he will not be pre-empting any decision from the county board. "Myself, Tom Barry and John Leahy (Tipperary selectors) will meet for dinner next week and discuss matters but I want to give the county board chairman some breathing space as well."
Meanwhile, Tipperary defender Eamonn Corcoran has expressed his anger following Wexford's controversial late goal in Saturday's All-Ireland quarter-final. Referee James McGrath moved the ball in 10 metres from the Hogan Stand side of the field and from a central position, Wexford goalkeeper Damien Fitzhenry hammered the ball home from the 21-metre line.
It appeared McGrath had punished Tipperary for dissent but Corcoran has insisted no player spoke out of turn. He said he ran across the line of the free to pick up unmarked Wexford players and was penalised for that.
"The ref turned around and told me I crossed over in front of the free-taker and said his mind was made up and that he was bringing the ball in. I couldn't believe it and Hugh Maloney was the same."
