Monaghan 4-9 Clare 1-12: Monaghan got off to a flying start yesterday in Clones as they scored three goals in the opening 12 minutes to leave Clare with too much to do over the remainder of the game.

The Freeman brothers, Damien and Tom, caused havoc in the Clare defence and scored the goals between them, Damien with two, to put their team nine points clear. Tom Freeman was on target with a point within a minute of scoring that third goal and it looked all over for the visitors.

Monaghan went on to lead at half-time by 3-4 to 0-4, even though they were guilty of wasteful play in their forward divisions.

On the resumption they picked up and by the 42nd minute Dick Clerkin struck for a goal and Tom Freeman added a point for a 13-point lead. Monaghan then lost momentum and Clare enjoyed their best spell as they hit five unanswered points.

Clare needed a goal to get back into the game and it arrived in injury-time through Denis Russell but it only served to put some respectability on the scoreboard.

MONAGHAN: P McElroy; JP Mone, J Coyle, Edmund Lennon; D Duffy, J Conlon, V Corey; Eoin Lennon, J Hughes; D Clerkin (1-1), P Finlay, T Freeman (1-3); D Freeman (2-3), R Ronaghan (0-2), T Duffy. Subs: S Gollogly for T Duffy, C Flanagan for JP Mone, F Markey for Hughes, M Duffy for Clerkin, Mone for Finlay.

CLARE: D O'Brien; P Gallagher, C Whelan, D Blake; N Griffin, B Considine, P Smith; J Moody, D O'Sullivan; A Clohessy (0-1), Denis Russell (1-5), E Coughlan (0-1); K Keavey, David Russell (0-2), K Considine (0-1). Subs: O O'Dwyer for Keavey, D Kelly (0-1) for Griffin, David Russell (Clarecastle) for Considine, M O'Dwyer (0-1) for Clohessey.

Referee: J Bannon (Longford).