Flynn holds his nerve to snatch spoils for Galway

Galway 2-15

Clare      1-17

A disputed free in injury-time from Galway’s Jason Flynn, who showed character beyond measure to nail the placed ball after a mixed outing on the free-taking duties, secured the Tribesmen a valuable opening day National Hurling League win over Clare at Pearse Stadium on Sunday.

Local derbies tend to produce the dramatics and, just as it did in the corresponding fixture 12 months previously, this didn’t disappoint. A score in arrears with time almost up, Galway and Flynn first struck the equaliser from a ‘65 before the Tommy Larkins man converted the difficult free two minutes into stoppage time to steal the points.

The late free was awarded by Offaly referee Brian Gavin who adjudged that Clare’s Jack Browne had picked the ball off the ground – a decision Clare manager Davy Fitzgerald, his backroom team and players remonstrated against.

So much so, the commotion was still going on as Flynn stood over the free but putting previous spurned opportunities behind him – he hit six of Galway’s 13 wides, four from placed balls, and left another free short – he coolly slotted over the effort.

Clare did have a chance to retrieve a result from a long range free from goalkeeper Patrick Kelly deep into time added on but his shot drifted wide and Galway had secured their 19th victory over their near neighbours in 30 meetings (three draws) on home soil.

Given Anthony Cunningham’s charges had been denied a win by a contentious refereeing decision in their League clash down in Ennis last year, there was a sense of irony about the manner in which the Tribesmen prevailed. Swings and roundabouts.

Granted, this was by no means a perfect performance but the gritty display had plenty of positives, most notably a solid work-rate, a great deal of honesty and enough periods of expansive hurling to suggest that – should they continue to build on this and future performances – the zip could be back in Galway hurling come championship. Early days yet though.

Among the positives were the performances of defender Gearoid McInerney, midfielder Joseph Cooney and forwards Jonathan Glynn and Flynn, twho just needs to tidy up his conversion rate to become a top class inter-county hurler.