THE MUNSTER COUNCIL have confirmed the provincial SFC semi-final between Cork and Tipperary will go ahead as planned on Saturday evening at 7pm in Thurles.

Tipperary manager Liam Kearns voiced his frustration at the six-day turnaround imposed on his team, where they’ll play their second championship game in the space of a week.

“It’s an absolute disgrace,” Kearns said after Saturday’s 0-20 to 0-9 win over Waterford. “I think the integrity of the competition has been completely compromised.

“The stats say that say that the team with a six-day turnaround don’t win.”

Tipperary and Cork were unable to find another suitable date to play the fixture, which takes place the day before the same counties meet in the Munster SHC at Semple Stadium.

“It’s been fixed for six or seven weeks at this stage,” Munster Council chairman Jerry O’Sullivan told The42.

“We fixed the game on 5 April. For two or three weeks prior to that, both counties had been having discussions and they didn’t reach any agreement. So we had no alternative to only fix the game then so that’s the way the situation is.”

Source: SIPA USA/PA Images

It will go directly up against the Champions League final in Kiev where Real Madrid face Liverpool at 7.45pm.

The Connacht SFC semi-final between Roscommon and Leitrim throws-in at the earlier time of 5.30pm, while the Leinster SFC quarter-final meeting of Laois and Westmeath will begin at 5pm.

Down’s Ulster SFC quarter-final against Antrim will go up against the showpiece soccer match on Saturday night with a 7pm start, as will the Leinster SHC tie between Offaly and Wexford.

“We’ve heard nothing from either county so the (Cork-Tipperary) game goes ahead as fixed,” O’Sullivan added.

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