Paul Flynn felt that Waterford needed something special to win the 2004 Munster final with fourteen men. Trailing by two points with twenty minutes left, he went for a goal from a close range free.
“I was moved back and there was a very strong sun that day. When you’re shooting into that end in Thurles, there’s wiring behind the goal and there's several poles close enough to the uprights and at times it can be hard to distinguish what’s what. Generally I tried to pick someone in the crowd. There was a big Waterford support that day at the Killinan End and some Cork lad had an American flag directly in the middle of the goal and that was my focus point. It was a shot to nothing and fortunately it came off. It did keep us ticking over. We were going to need a goal at some stage, we didn’t know it was going to come in that fashion!"
It wasn't the first time he tried that type of shot. "It happened a few times. It can be quite risky and you could look very foolish."
He has a couple of souvenirs from one of the greatest Munster finals ever played. “I have a very good friend from Cork and he saw a picture in the Examiner of the scoreboard. He said ‘look at the sad faces on all the Cork fellas!’ I got onto the Examiner and I got the picture of the scoreboard. All the young Cork supporters used to gather at the Town End in Thurles underneath the scoreboard with their flags and their flares. It’s a great photo and it’s here in the kitchen. I don’t know if I have the jersey. I have the hurley still. That’s about it. The picture and the hurley.”
Listen back to Paul Flynn's memories below on Lár Na Páirce Hurling In The Years.
From one of our good days against Cork, great games great times and both teams had great players. pic.twitter.com/slH6D7ZlqM
— Paul Flynn (@flynnerss) April 12, 2020
'My Goodness me!! Only Paul Flynn could think of it!!'
An cuimhin leat an 'dipper' seo a ghnóthaigh Flynn?!🔥
The 2004 Munster final was an exhibition of skill, speed & fiery passion!
📺@WaterfordGAA V @OfficialCorkGAA
⏰Dé Domhnaigh @14:00 @TG4TV#AllIrelandGold@GAA__JOE pic.twitter.com/Hnsy746oPg— Spórt TG4 (@SportTG4) April 7, 2020
https://www.spreaker.com/user/wlrfm/paulflynnmp3
