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Quinlivan: 'We are giving hope to a new generation'

Michael Quinlivan shoots during the All Ireland SFC Semi Final.

Michael Quinlivan shoots during the All Ireland SFC Semi Final.

By Cian O'Connell

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'Bitterly disappointed' to have suffered a five point All Ireland SFC Semi-Final loss Michael Quinlivan is hopeful Tipperary can return to the same stage again soon.

Two Mayo goals from Jason Doherty and Conor O'Shea were the decisive blows last Sunday, but Quinlivan is encouraged by the progress that has been made.

"Yeah, bitterly disappointed now to be honest," was Quinlivan's reaction to the loss. "We saw a big opportunity there and the two goals killed us; the second one especially because we were definitely on top in the second half and that kind of saw them home.

"They are a top three team, this is our first experience here. We’ll go away and learn from it and hopefully come back again.

"They got a run on us for about 15 minutes, but they are a quality side so it can be hard to stem the tide. When they got the goal they really did go for the kill then.

"We probably do have to learn to maybe slow it down in that sort of situation, but we really did enjoy our experience. We really are disappointed so it is what it is."

Quinlivan wants to embark on another Tipperary Championship adventure. "Yeah, definitely," Quinlivan commented. "It always intrigues me how the Kilkenny hurlers keep coming back, you don’t really understand it really until you play in a game like that yourself; how much it actually means and the experience itself. "It does stand to you as a person and a player. There’s a lot of hurt in that dressing room after that game, hopefully we can bottle that and come back.

"We have a Munster semi-final to look forward to in June, we want to get back to a Munster final as well so there’s things to build on and hopefully we can do that next year.

"We have been making strides over the last few years and it’s another step.I don’t know how many other teams would be applauded off the field in Croke Park after losing by five points by both sets of supporters.

"We must be doing something right and maybe we are giving hope to a new generation of footballers that might come behind us and hopefully that’s what we can do."

Conor Sweeney is hopeful that several Tipp players will return to the inter-county fold in 2017. “Yeah well if ever there was an incentive for them to come back it's what we've achieved this year," Sweeney said.

"Look, the lads will have to make up their own minds. I think we've an open door for anyone. We'll take anyone. Our panel isn't the biggest. We need everyone we can and we'll be starting from scratch again next year so I think hopefully there might be a few more places for competition please God."