Hurlers face a wounded Tipperary in crucial Thurles tie on Sunday

The Galway senior hurlers will travel to Thurles on Sunday (2pm ) to take on a panel of Tipperary players that will be hurting from last Sunday's embarrassing 2-20 to 0-14 defeat to Dublin in Parnell Park.

Tipperary manager Eamon O' Shea will no doubt have told his players that their performance last weekend was not up to scratch, and cannot be replicated, especially on home turf.

This Sunday is a game that they badly need to win if they are to have any real chance of doing anything in the league and not find themselves in the relegation quagmire after only two rounds.

Galway on the other hand will want to build on their hard fought 2-15 to 1-17 first round victory over Clare at Pearse Stadium.

The game was not a classic by any means, however the last quarter was fought out with manly endeavour and the 6,000 plus in attendance really found their voice near the end and were on their feet cheering on Jason Flynn's late free.

With a few minutes to go it was anyone's game, and it looked like a draw, or a Clare win was going to be the conclusion.

However Anthony Cunningham's men showed a good bit of ambition, steel, dogged stubbornness and fight to edge out a narrow victory.

It took a pointed 65 to level the game and then a tremendously well hit late free by young Jason Flynn to seal the deal for the home side and his manager was delighted with how his free-taker did in trying circumstances.

"He is a brilliant marksman. A young player coming through and a great stickman. Jason showed great bottle out there. He has the talent so it's great to see it on a stage like this".

While Flynn finished the game with nine points, it was the powerful running and aerial strength of centre-forward Jonathan Glynn that set up Galway's two goals, both of which came at crucial times.

The first arrived just before half-time and put Galway into a 1-9 to 1-8 lead when the Ardrahan man fielded a long free from Andy Smith and laid off to Cathal Mannion who expertly drilled the ball into the corner of Patrick Kelly 's net.

Joseph Cooney was the next benefactor of Glynn's good work when he soloed through the middle before setting up the Sarsfield's man for a well taken goal that brought Galway right back into the game with twelve minutes remaining.

Others who impressed were team captain David Collins who had a powerful game at centre-back and both Gearóid McInerney and Iarla Tannion.

Despite Galway winning last Sunday and Tipperary losing, or perhaps as a consequence of those results, the bookies have Anthony Cunningham's men as 15/8 outsiders, with the home side at 1/2 to collect the two points on offer this weekend. The draw is 10/1.

There will be deferred coverage of the game on TG4 on Sunday at 3.45pm.

Galway: C Callanan; J Coen, J Hanbury, R Burke; G McInerney (0-01 ), D Collins, I Tannian; A Smith, J Cooney (1-00 ); P Brehony (0-01 ), J Glynn (0-02 ), D Higgins; J Regan (0-01 ), J Flynn (0-09, 0-06f, 0-01 65 ), C Mannion (1-01 ).

Subs used: G Lally for Burke (48 ), A Harte for Higgins (52 ), B Molloy for Regan (63 ), P Killeen for Brehony (66 ).

Fográ: There will be a Galway supporters bus going to the hurling game this Sunday.

If you wish to avail of this service, you must confirm by this evening (Thursday ). Book your seat by calling or texting 085-8614084. The cost is €10 per person.

The bus departs Ceannt Station at 10am on Sunday.

 

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