Galway 2-8 Clare 1-5
Galway remain on course for an immediate return to the top flight after securing their fifth win in a row in Division Two with a deserved victory over Clare at Tuam Stadium.
They still have tough clashes to come against fellow promotion contenders Derry and Roscommon, but they did enough to carve out the win against a Clare side who struggled for scores and who never looked like getting their second victory of the campaign.
The sides were level at 1-2 apiece at the break with Clare having played with the strong breeze on a wet afternoon.
Colm Collins’ men enjoyed a blistering start when corner-back Cillian Rouine went forward to shoot to the net for the opening score of the match in the third minute.
A fisted point from Damien Comer sparked a good spell for the Tribesmen and Rob Finnerty found the net after being set up by Shane Walsh to take the lead after 15 minutes.
Finnerty was black-carded after being pinged for a trip on Manus Doherty but all Clare could manage with the extra man was an equalising point from a free from Cleary five minutes from the break.
David Tubridy edged Clare in front when he pointed a mark two minutes after the restart but Galway took over from there and shot 1-5 without reply in the next 19 minutes.
Kieran McHugh and Dylan McHugh went forward to shoot good points and then disaster struck for Clare when a quick kickout from goalkeeper Tristan O’Callaghan was intercepted by Heaney and he in turn set up Comer for a goal to lead by 2-4 to 1-3 after 42 minutes.
A second point of the game from Heaney and a fine effort from Paul Conroy extended the lead before Matthew Tierney, captaining Galway for the first time in the absence of Sean Kelly, also found his range to lead by 2-7 to 1-3 before Keelan Sexton pointed a free to end a 21-minute barren spell for Clare.
Dessie Conneely became the eighth Galway player to score when he landed a good point before Jamie Malone got Clare’s first point from play in 70 minutes when he struck in the dying moments - but they were unable to save their faint hopes of promotion.
Galway: C Flaherty; J Glynn, L Silke, K Molloy (0-1); D McHugh (0-1), J Daly, C McDaid; P Conroy (0-1), M Tierney (0-1); P Kelly, D Comer (1-1), J Heaney (0-2); O Gallagher, R Finnerty (1-0), S Walsh. Subs: F Ó Laoí for Gallagher (46 mins), E Finnerty for Walsh (48 mins), D Conneely (0-1) for R Finnerty (54 mins), D Canney for Comer (63 mins), N Daly for Kelly (67 mins).
Clare: T O Callaghan; C Rouine (1-0), M Doherty, C Brennan; E Collins, C O'Dea, A Sweeney; C Russell, D O'Neill; P Collins, E Cleary (0-2, 0-1 free), A Griffin; J Malone (0-1), K Sexton (0-1 free), D Tubridy (0-1 mark). Subs: E McMahon for P Collins (7 mins), J McGann for Sweeney (34 mins), G Cooney for Tubridy (62 mins), C Jordan for Rouine (62 mins), D Walsh for Griffin (62 mins).
Referee: C Lane (Cork).
