Neighbours Galway and Clare produced a sensational contest in Salthill, with the hosts prevailing by a single point, 2-15 to 1-17.

This match remained in the melting pot all the way to the final whistle and Pearse Stadium was no place for the faint-hearted amongst the 6,000-plus attendance as we accelerated towards a thrilling denouement: on the hour, impact substitute Conor McGrath's third point edged Davy Fitzgerald's men into a 1-16 to 2-12 lead; John Conlon restored that advantage six minutes from the end after Jason Flynn had levelled from a free; Flynn then equalised from a 68th-minute '65' before winning the day from a disputed free in the first minute of injury time.

The clincal despatch of Flynn's ninth point from an acute angle represented a cruel end to the game for the Munster county, as they were arguably worth at least a draw. But, in the end, Galway's goals from Cathal Mannion and Joseph Cooney in either half were the difference.

Cooney's three-pointer arrived 13 minutes from time to tie up the scores, 2-12 to 1-15, after points from McGrath and Colin Ryan (free) had given the visitors a useful-looking three-point lead. Ryan had tied the scores up at 1-9 each shortly after the restart and the Banner then moved three ahead with finishes from Conlon, Shane O'Donnell and Brendan Bugler.

Jonathan Glynn and Flynn (2) were on target as Galway notched three of the four scores registered between the 45th and 53rd minutes, with McGrath suppliying a Clare point in between.

Mannion's injury-time strike to the bottom corner had given Anthony Cunningham's charges the narrowest of interval leads, 1-9 to 1-8.

Throw-in at Pearse Stadium was delayed for ten minutes and it took the visitors twice as long to find their rhythm! The Banner County trailed by 0-7 to 0-3 after 21 minutes but had rebounded into a 1-6 to 0-8 lead within half an hour of throw-in.

Their goal arrived in the 29th minute, courtesy of Conlon, who doubled emphatically onto a Ryan free to draw his side level, 1-5 to 0-8. The Tribesmen led by 0-5 to 0-2 after ten minutes, with points from Flynn (2), Glynn, Mannion and James Regan, while Bobby Duggan clipped over the visitors' opening two scores.

Ryan's first pointed free of the afternoon was cancelled out by Gearoid McInerney before Flynn popped over a couple of frees either side of Duggan's third of the day to leave it double scores with ten minutes left in the first half, 0-8 to 0-4.

Awake the Banner with points from Ryan (free) and Colm Galvin either side of Conlon's goal to lead for the first time! Another successful Ryan free made it a two-point match with three minutes left before the break and Ryan was on target again in the final minute of first-half normal time to cancel out a Padraig Breheny point.

Mannion's major at the tail end of the opening period turned this absorbing contest on its head for neither the first nor last time...

Galway - C Callanan; J Hanbury, J Coen, R Burke; G McInerney (0-1), D Collins, I Tannian; A Smith, J Cooney (1-0); P Brehony (0-1), J Glynn (0-2), D Higgins; J Regan (0-1), J Flynn (0-9, 6f, 1'65), C Mannion (1-1). Subs: G Lally for R Burke, A Harte for D Higgins, B Molloy for J Regan, P Killeen for P Brehony.

Clare - P Kelly; D O'Donovan, C Dillon, J Browne; C Cleary, Conor Ryan, B Bugler (0-1); P O'Connor, Colin Ryan (0-6, 5f); P Donnellan, B Duggan (0-3), C Galvin (0-1); J Conlon (1-2), S O'Donnell (0-1), D Reidy. Subs: C McGrath (0-3) for D Reidy, A Cunningham for P Donnellan, S Morey for C Cleary, C O'Connell for Colin Ryan.

Referee - B Gavin.

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