Clynch happy with result

There is a tendency in Meath to consider hurling in the county as the poor second cousin to football, but for the players that saw off the challenge of Mayo in Saturday"s Christy Ring Cup at Pairc Tailteann it meant as much to them as it does to Kilkenny to win All-Ireland after All-Ireland. There was a palpable sense of relief at negotiating the first hurdle. Men who have slogged through the winter months exhaled a huge collective sigh of relief with the win. For them the huge amount or work they had put in was worthwhile and has them on the right road. Team captain Stephen Clynch epitomised what every leader should. He was the general on the field and while those around him were struggling to find their form it was the Kilmessan man who raised his game and showed the way. Clynch was one of Meath"s better performers against Mayo. It was a disappointing showing from the team, but they still managed to win and that pleased Clynch. 'It was a tough game and the rain didn"t help us. We weren"t able to play the same crisp hurling that we did against Carlow in the Kehoe Cup. The referee had a big influence on the contest as well. He awarded a lot of frees and it really slowed the game up and didn"t allow it to be played the way we wanted to,' said Clynch. 'We knew Mayo were coming up here with plenty of hope. They came up on Friday night and trained in Pairc Tailteann so we knew they were a well-organised team. 'While we were quietly confident, I wouldn"t say that we expected an easy win. If we had managed to open them up we would have won easier, but it didn"t go like that. 'The few quick scores we got after the break were crucial. It was vital to get a couple of quick points and that put five or six points between us again. I felt we were always in control. 'The main thing is that we have two points in the bag. It is on to Kerry now and we will kick on from there. A win is a win and we have to knuckle down now for two weeks and head down there with our hopes high.' The build-up to the match was dominated by a suggestion from Co Committee chairman Barney Allen that Meath hurling manager John Andrews suggested he would drop players from the panel if they turned out for their clubs in football championship games on Tuesday, 1st July. 'I don"t think what happened was a problem or that it hindered our preparations for this game. The issue was raised at training one night, John Andrews told us what he thought and he left it at that as we continued our preparations for this game. 'We had a discussion amongst ourselves about the whole situation and I don"t want to comment on that. I think it is resolved by now, but I don"t know,' concluded the Kilmessan man who plays football with Dunsany.