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Galway 4-16 Clare 0-19 : BECAUSE OF the insignificant nature of this last league outing for Galway and Clare at Cusack Park, …

Mon Apr 20 2009 - 01:00

Galway 4-16 Clare 0-19: BECAUSE OF the insignificant nature of this last league outing for Galway and Clare at Cusack Park, Ennis, yesterday, there was a distinct lack of intensity on view.

With Clare relegated and Galway safe, the normally highly-charged atmosphere associated with these two sides was missing.

The home side started well. Three scores, two from Tony Carmody and a Mark Flaherty effort from a free, left them in the ascendancy in as many minutes. But the Clare superiority was short-lived.

Niall Healy landed two frees and then Iarla Tannian hit the back of the Clare net after seven minutes. Clare pulled two points back through David Barrett and a free by Alan Markham and as the half progressed there was little or nothing between the sides.

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After the turnaround, it was quite apparent that Galway’s classier hurlers had the measure on their Clare counterparts. Healy immediately broke the deadlock with a free and when the visitors were awarded a penalty in the 49th minute, the corner forward made no mistake with a low shot.

This goal put daylight between them (2-13 to 0-15), and when Healy was on hand to tap past Patrick Kelly in the Clare goal on 56 minutes, the outcome was inevitable. Galway’s goalscoring flourish wasn’t finished at that as Clare lost three players to yellow cards. With 10 minutes remaining in the tie, Aongus Callanan struck for Galway’s fourth goal.

GALWAY: J Skehill; D Joyce, S Kavanagh, O Canning; R Murray, E Lynch, A Cullinane; K Hynes, F Healy (0-1); N Hayes, K Hayes, A Callanan (1-1); N Healy (2-8, 0-6 frees), I Tannian (1-2), D Hayes (0-3). Subs:E Forde for Hynes (64 mins), M Kearns (0-1, free) for N Healy (64 mins), A Coen for Cullinane (65 mins), J Gantly for Callanan (65 mins), B Costello for Murray (68 mins).

CLARE:P Kelly; M Hawes, J McInerney, C McMahon (0-1); P Donnellan, B Bugler, A Markham (0-3, frees); B O'Connell, G O'Connell (0-1); T Carmody (0-2), D Barrett (0-3 frees), D McMahon; M Flaherty (0-6, five frees), T Griffin (0-1), J Clancy (0-1). Subs:E Barrett for Hawes (yellow, 50 mins), C Ryan for D Barrett (yellow, 51 mins), E Glynn for Bugler (yellow, 57 mins), M Murphy for Carmody (67 mins), G Arthur (0-1) for Griffin (68 mins).

Referee:J Sexton (Cork).