Allianz Football League Division Two

Galway 2-8 Clare 1-5

By Billy Coss at Tuam Stadium

A dominant third quarter that yielded 1-5 without reply saw Galway overcome Clare at a windswept Tuam Stadium and move top of the Division 2 standings.

Their promotion challenge will ultimately hinge on trips to Derry and Roscommon over the next two Sundays, but Padraic Joyce's side were value for a victory that maintained their 100 per cent record with goals from Robert Finnerty and Damien Comer the key scores.

Clare finished the afternoon as they started it, sitting mid-table on four points. Promotion is now beyond Colm Collins' side, their focus instead turning to consolidating their Division 2 status with fixtures against Meath and Down to come.

The Banner made a dream start when a terrific move involving Aaron Griffin and Keelan Sexton was rounded off by corner-back Cillian Rouine for a third minute goal.

Galway responded with points from Johnny Heaney and Damien Comer either side of an Eoin Cleary effort, before coming up with the score of the match when an inch-perfect pass from Shane Walsh put Finnerty through for a 15th minute goal.

It was a scrappy encounter littered with poor finishing overall and just one further point was added in the remainder of the opening half when Cleary levelled for Clare and left the sides on 1-2 apiece.

Galway were the more wasteful side during that second quarter and also spent ten minutes with 14 men after Finnerty was black-carded by referee Conor Lane.

Clare's chances were undermined by first half injuries to Podge Collins and Alan Sweeney, but hit the front in the 37th minute courtesy of a converted mark from David Tubridy.

They would not trouble the score keepers again until the 58th minute, however, as Galway took control and made their decisive move. Points from defenders Kieran Molloy and Dylan McHugh edged the Tribesmen ahead before a Clare kick-out went awry and Heaney fed Comer whose powerful finish beat Tristan O'Callaghan and made it 2-4 to 1-3.

Further points from Heaney, Paul Conroy and Matthew Tierney extended Galway's advantage before Keelan Sexton ended Clare's barren spell on 58 minutes.

A late Jamie Malone point aside, Clare struggled with their finishing in the second half as Dessie Conneely became the eighth Galway scorer on the day.

Scorers for Galway: Damien Comer 1-1, Robert Finnerty 1-0, Johnny Heaney 0-2, Kieran Molloy 0-1, Dylan McHugh 0-1, Paul Conroy 0-1, Matthew Tierney 0-1, Dessie Conneely 0-1.

Scorers for Clare: Cillian Rouine 1-0, Eoin Cleary 0-2 (1f), David Tubridy 0-1 (m), Keelan Sexton 0-1 (f), Jamie Malone 0-1.

Galway: Conor Flaherty; Jack Glynn, Liam Silke, Kieran Molloy; Dylan McHugh, John Daly, Cillian McDaid; Matthew Tierney, Paul Conroy; Paul Kelly, Damien Comer, Johnny Heaney; Owen Gallagher, Robert Finnerty, Shane Walsh.

Subs: Finnian Ó Laoi for Gallagher (45), Eoin Finnerty for Walsh (48), Dessie Conneely for Robert Finnerty (54), Dylan Canney for Comer (63), Niall Daly for Kelly (67).

Clare: Tristan O'Callaghan; Cillian Brennan, Manus Doherty, Cillian Rouine; Eoghan Collins, Cian O'Dea, Alan Sweeney; Ciarán Russell, Darren O'Neill; Podge Collins, Eoin Cleary, Aaron Griffin; Jamie Malone, Keelan Sexton, David Tubridy.

Subs: Emmet McMahon for Collins (7), Joe McGann for Sweeney (33), Daniel Walsh for Griffin (62), Gavin Cooney for Tubridy (62), Conor Jordan for Rouine (62).

Referee: Conor Lane (Cork).