Liam Cahill would have been forgiven an Alan Partridge-style moment of satisfaction.
A year ago, his Tipperary team finished bottom of the Munster table with a -36 points difference after earning a single draw from their four games. They had won just one provincial match across his first two seasons - albeit that was enough to set up a disappointing quarter-final exit to Galway in 2023 - and seemed to be going backwards. Unacceptable in one of hurling's so-called bigger counties.
Asked last May whether he thought he was still the right man for the job, the two time U20 All-Ireland winning boss said he took "umbrage" at the not totally unreasonable question and pointed to the three-year term he had been handed by the county board, a flimsy guarantee in an amateur sport.
Needless to say, he has had the last laugh.
Following yesterday's extraordinary 4-20 to 0-30 semi-final victory over Kilkenny, Tipp are back in an All-Ireland decider for the first time since 2019, where they will face familiar foes Cork in a novel pairing on 20 July.
"It's huge credit to the players, first and foremost," a calmly reflective Cahill told RTÉ Sport. "Myself and Mikey [Beavans], TJ [Ryan], Declan [Laffan], we only facilitate them. They've been incredible all year, really came back rejuvenated after a club scene late last year and really went after the areas that needed to be corrected from a disappointing 2024. These fellas set really high standards for themselves to be fair and they committed to that.
"And to be fair, the alignment with our county board off the field as well. On the field and off the field is starting to work in tandem with one another in Tipperary. When you're trying to create a high- performance environment for players to excel, the board has to be working together and I think it's starting to happen now.
"It's been difficult to navigate over the last two years from my perspective. I won't deny that. A huge change required, it's starting to come through now. Thrilled to be in the final."
Cahill’s men battled past the Cats thanks to a superb late goal from substitute Oisín O’Donoghue, their fourth, having recovered from a two-point deficit after Darragh McCarthy was sent off for a second yellow card with 12 minutes to play.
"I'm very proud and happy with the way we tried our best to implement the way we wanted to play after we had a poor start," said the manager, who was speaking before the scoreboard controversy emerged, and confirmed he thought his team had been three points ahead at the finish.
"That's down to Kilkenny as well. They were all over us. They had loads of energy. They were winning most of the breaking ball. It was probably a very much mistake-ridden game as well which probably led to a lot of the excitement.
"To be fair to Kilkenny, you could never say you had them at any stage throughout the game. You’re always nervy and expecting them to produce something and they duly did. Our defence today was really good. Consistency is something we crave and we try to chase. It's something we'll have to bring here in two weeks' time if we have any chance.
"It's misfortune, the second yellow. By the rule book it's there, we had no complaints with it at all. Just disappointed for Darragh, he commits to everything. Just before that we probably had really discussed getting Oisín in at that time. Lo and behold, Darragh was coming off alright but we can't get Oisín in to replace him. It was a bit of a blow at the time, but I think it really ignited the rest of the players on the field.
"Again, the impact of our bench coming in had a big bearing on today's game. I really thought they gave us huge energy. [Alan] Tynan in particular was superb when he came on. Obviously, Oisín and Noel [McGrath] as usual, giving us that calming influence.
"We're a unit that keeps things really tight and we have one another's back. That's what really makes it proud for me is that when you can create something like that and the tests come like they came today outside there at Croke Park, the players usually find the answers."
A careless slap on the hand of Kilkenny keeper Eoin Murphy led to McCarthy’s second dismissal this summer, following his straight red before the throw-in in Cork. Two yellows won’t keep the Toomevara tyro - one of three All-Ireland U20 winners in the panel - out of the final, however Cahill has an interesting choice to make as to his free-taker. McCarthy scored (1-02, 2fs) but had a couple of poor misses. Jason Forde (1-05, 4fs) was flawless (4/4) when he took over the placed balls, which had happened even before his team-mate’s early exit.
"I'll be backing young Darragh all day long anyway, I have no concerns in that regard," said Cahill.
"He's a very resilient young man and I think over the next fortnight and the next couple of sessions, he'll arrive here in a good place in two weeks' time.
"It's great to have Jason in reserve, he's having a huge year again. He's a phenomenal player and I'm really thrilled for him."
"I suppose grass is grass"
Tipp beat the Cats to lift the All-Ireland title six years ago but hadn’t played at headquarters since. They were concerns over how some of their younger players might handle the experience but they were cheered on by the majority of the 60,378 in attendance and Cork won’t have as big a share of the stands as they did last Saturday.
"You can't give these guys experience unless you're here," reflected Cahill. "But they have experience of playing in a packed Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Semple Stadium. I know this is a different set up out here, but I suppose grass is grass. We just have to go at it and see what happened.
"We had a number of experienced players, just like this man here to my right [Michael Breen], that have been here before and done it. Then the mixture of the younger fellas that have brought an abandonment of no fear and just hurling with the flow. I don't think anything fazes the younger fellas that have come into this squad. It was a big ask of them today and they passed the test with flying colours."
Sitting beside his manager, defender Breen confirmed: "That was a serious Tipp support that we had out there today, you could hear them all the way through. Whether it was a point or a block and when the goals came it was deafening.
"The last 24 months, maybe the finish of those seasons it was hard to see immediately where we would go, but as we kickstarted each campaign the last two years, we always believed that we could get up to this arena and perform here.
"It wasn't big massive fixes, it was small tweaks. We had the players there. This man is putting it on the players and saying that we drove it but no more than he did, he had to put this plan in place to get us up here and thank God, everyone together, we did it."
It’s an all-Munster final for the second year in a row, and the first time Tipp will play Cork on the big day. Does Cahill feel battling through the more claustrophobic province – Tipp finished third on points difference behind the Rebels and Limerick as holders Clare crashed out – was an advantage against a Kilkenny side who cruised to their sixth Leinster title in a row?
"The difference between Munster and Leinster out there today was only a puck of a ball," he pointed out.
"I suppose when you come out of the likes of Cusack Park and Ennis in a tight game, and come out in Thurles fighting for your life to be one of the three to qualify, it does battle-harden you that little bit more.
"From our point of view, the campaign and the road we have travelled definitely helped us towards the end."
It has been a long and winding road for Liam Cahill and Tipperary over the last three years. But now, unexpectedly, it might just lead back to the promised land.
