Galway 0-25
Clare 1-20
John Fallon reports from Pearse Stadium
GALWAY WRAPPED up their Allianz League campaign with a deserved victory at Pearse Stadium in a game of little significance as both were out of contention and safe from relegation.
But it was a good workout for both sides as they now turn their attention to the championship in the next few weeks.
The sides were level nine times in the opening half but Galway turned around leading by 0-14 to 0-12 in a free-flowing game.
There was little at stake for either county other than finishing their league campaign on a good note before heading into championship action next month.
The sides exchanged points four times in the opening 13 minutes before efforts from Cathal Malone and Ryan Taylor edged Clare 0-6 to 0-4 in front by the end of the opening quarter.
Galway hit back with points from Conor Cooney and Cianan Fahy to level the match after 20 minutes, with Cooney leading the way for Galway and, inevitably, Tony Kelly, doing most of the scoring for Clare, with the two marksmen hitting half a dozen points each in the opening half.
The sides continued to swap points and were deadlocked at 0-10 apiece five minutes from the break before Galway pulled ahead with points from Conor Whelan, Tom Monaghan, Cathal Mannion and Cooney, before Taylor and Shane Meehan hit back to reduce the margin to two by half-time.
Clare goalkeeper Eibhear Quilligan, who denied Whelan with a superb save after 11 minutes in the opening half, did likewise after the restart, but Galway extended their lead when Cathal Mannion got his fourth point and Cooney tacked on another from placed balls to lead by 0-17 to 0-12 but Clare hit back and after David Fitzgerald pointed, Kelly blasted home a penalty after Ian Galvin was fouled to cut the gap to a point after 43 minutes.
Galway responded with the next four points but then Clare hit back and landed four in succession to leave it 0-21 to 1-17 with seven minutes left.
Cooney fired over a 65 and a free and Ronan Glennon got one from play as Galway pulled clear to claim the victory.
Scorers for Galway: Conor Cooney 0-12 (0-7f, 0-2 ’65), Cathal Mannion 0-5, Tom Monaghan 0-2, Conor Whelan 0-2, Padraic Mannion 0-1, Cianan Fahy 0-1, Ronan Glennon 0-1, Evan Niland 0-1.
Clare: Tony Kelly 1-9 (1-0p, 0-6f, 0-2 ’65), Ryan Taylor 0-5, David Fitzgerald 0-4, Cathal Malone 0-1, Shane Meehan 0-1.
Galway:
1 Eanna Murphy (Tommy Larkins)
2 Jack Grealish (Gort), 3 Daithi Burke (Turloughmore), 4 Darren Morrissey (Sarsfields)
5 Tiernan Killeen (Loughrea), 6 Gearoid McInerney (Oranmore-Maree), 7 Padraic Mannion (Ahascragh-Fohenagh)
8 Joseph Cooney (Sarsfields), 9 Ronan Glennon (Mullagh)
10 Tom Monaghan (Craughwell), 11 Conor Cooney (St Thomas’), 12 Cianan Fahy (Ardrahan
15 Cathal Mannion (Ahascragh-Fohenagh), 14 Conor Whelan (Kinvara), 13 Brian Concannon (Killimordaly)
Substitutes:
18 Fintan Burke (St Thomas’) for Killeen (46)
19 Shane Ryan (Clarinbridge) for Morrissey (58)
23 Gavin Lee (Clarinbridge) for Concannon (60)
24 Evan Niland (Clarinbridge) for Fahy (66)
21 David Burke (St Thomas’) for Glennon (66)
Clare:
1 Eibhear Quilligan (Feakle)
19 Mike Gough (Smith O’Briens), 23 Aaron Fitzgerald (Éire Óg), 4 Paul Flanagan (Ballyea)
7 Jack Browne (Ballyea), 6 John Conlon (Clonlara), 5 David McInerney (Tulla)
8 Shane Golden (Sixmilebridge), 9 Jason McCarthy (Inagh/Kilnamona)
10 Cathal Malone (Sixmilebridge), 11 David Fitzgerald (Inagh/Kilnamona), 15 Ryan Taylor (Clooney/Quin)
13 Shane Meehan (Banner), 14 Tony Kelly (Ballyea), 25 Patrick Crotty (Scarriff)
Substitutes:
12 Peter Duggan (Clooney/Quin) for Crotty (13-14)
26 Ian Galvin (Clonlara) for Crotty (half-time)
12 Duggan for Golden (51)
21 Robin Morrissey (Ruan) for Galvin (57)
2 Rory Hayes (Wolfe Tones) for McInerney (63)
Referee: James Owens (Wexford).
