Flynn says debutants deserve lot of credit
The man who has carried the day for the Waterford champions more often than anyone else over the past decade, Paul Flynn, said they came to win and he believed they would if they played to their potential.
Flynn, who scored two first-half goals and ended with an impressive 2-4, leaves this morning on a week-long golfing holiday in Portugal’s Algarve.
“At least I can go now happy in the knowledge that there will be at least another day for us in this Munster championship,” he said. That will be on Sunday week when the Gunners entertain Clare champions Clarecastle in the semi-final. “Another tough one for sure,” he said, “but for the moment we’ll relish this victory over Garryspillane.”
The goalscorer said that while the experienced members of the team had pointed the way, the contribution of the debutants was equally important.
“The younger players were just brilliant,” he said, “and that should be acknowledged by those of us who have been through it all before’.
Flynn said they had a very bad start, something they will not be able to afford next time, but that their overall performance was very good. “The younger players will be all the better for the experience and already we’re looking forward to the next day against Clarecastle,” he said.
Fergal Hartley, magnificent at centre back, was also generous in his praise of the younger players. They had stood up to be counted all year, however, so it hadn’t come as any surprise to him that they did so again.
“Our team is a mix of youth and experience,” said Hartley, adding that if the Garryspillane game is to be taken as the standard then their performance was ideal or at least close.
“Garryspillane were always going to be tough, a difficult team to beat, and that’s how things panned out’, said Hartley. “The club championship in Limerick is as good as in any other county and the team that comes through must never be taken for granted.”
Hartley said the win is an important “next step” for them on the road to winning a title they last won in 2001. “We haven’t played in the Munster campaign since so in a way we were defending that 2001 title out there today,” he said.
One of the newcomers, corner forward Gearoid O’Connor, said their experienced players were “very influential”, but overall it was a sound and solid team performance, while Paul Foley promised that they’ll be all the better for it in the semi-final.
Foley said Cork champions Newtownshandrum are the deserving favourites to win Munster but there’s still a lot of hurling to be played. “I would like to think we’ll be there at the death,” he said.
Disappointed but totally gracious in defeat, a subdued Garryspillane acknowledged that victory went to the better team on the day.
“No doubt about it’, said team manager Tony Considine.
“We came here to win, so did Ballygunner and that made for the great game the two teams served up’.
The Garryspillane boss said that in the end the Gunners’ greater experience at this level “probably did the trick” for them.
Considine said Ballygunner will carry the support of his team in their bid to go on and win the Munster title.
