Meath used goals once again as their battering ram to victory in Division 2, overcoming Munster opposition for the second weekend running to keep Colm O'Rourke's unbeaten start to 2023 intact.
Conceding 16 points will concern the new Royal County manager but with four goals in the debit column - scored by Donal Lenihan, 2, Jordan Morris and Jason Scully - the hosts made it two wins from two after hitting Cork for three goals last weekend.
Three of Meath's goals arrived inside the opening 18 minutes this time, meaning they led for virtually all of the game though it wasn't the complete performance from O'Rourke's new look team.
Twice they conceded five points in a row to Colm Collins' injury-depleted side who were unable to follow up their own opening day win over Louth with another success.
But the positives will outweigh any difficulties Meath experienced with O'Rourke sure to be delighted with four points from a possible four ahead of their Round 3 trip to face Ulster champions Derry. Clare will be at home next when they take on Kildare in Ennis.
They may struggle to get their heads around this game with those two separate bursts of five points in a row coming after twice falling nine points behind.
O'Rourke changed almost a third of his Meath team from the Pairc Ui Chaoimh win with starts for Adam O'Neill, Harry O'Higgins and Jack O'Connor in defence, along with Lenihan in attack.
There were three changes for Clare too from the side that stole a dramatic one-point win over Louth last weekend.
Those were all enforced switches with Darren O'Neill (thumb), captain Eoin Cleary (sickness) and Keelan Sexton (hamstring) replaced by Darragh Bohannon, Ciaran Downes and Gavin Cooney.
Wolfe Tones man O'Neill fared strongly on his full National League debut for Meath while Dunboyne's Lenihan, who featured in all three of their O'Byrne Cup games, drilled 12th and 18th minute goals.
Meath opted for long, direct deliveries into their full-forward line whenever the opportunity was on and Morris hinted at the success it would bring for them when he pointed in the eighth minute following a terrific fetch and advanced mark.
Lenihan's first goal four minutes later was all about what the Royals could do closer to the ground with Morris cutting the ball back from the right endline and Lenihan finishing with a first-time, soccer style shot.
But it was back to the long ball for the second goal with Ronan Jones arrowing in a diagonal delivery from the left and Lenihan rising highest to redirect it to the net.
From the resulting kick-out, Morris won possession and punished goalkeeper David Sexton by blasting low to the bottom right corner.
Suddenly, Meath were 3-02 to 0-02 ahead and apparently on the verge of routing the visitors.
They only scored one more point in the half though with the 13th minute injury enforced departure of Shane Walsh, who struck 1-07 against Cork, along with a significant improvement from Clare, allowing the Banner to come strongly into the contest.
Five points in a row from Clare, with three of those from UL's Emmett McMahon, hauled them right back and while Meath still led by 3-03 to 0-07 at half-time, the five-point margin flattered them.
Clare went with a two-man inside forward line of Cooney and Podge Collins initially and Jamie Malone, wearing number 10, played mainly as an extra defender.
Morris had a terrific chance for a second goal shortly after the restart but Sexton saved and when substitute Aaron Griffin then pointed for Clare, the margin was down to four.
The four-point gap remained between them after 45 minutes but another surge of Meath scoring, climaxing with Scully's goal when he slid the ball low to the net, reopened a nine-point margin and put the result virtually beyond doubt.
In front of a vocal home support, Meath would have preferred to finish with a burst but five Clare points in a row from Podge Collins, McMahon, Bohannon and sub Mark McInerney left O'Rourke with some thinking to do ahead of the Derry date.
Meath: Harry Hogan; Adam O'Neill, Michael Flood, Harry O'Higgins; Jack O'Connor (0-01), Donal Keogan, Cathal Hickey; Ronan Jones, Daithi McGowan (0-01); Cillian O'Sullivan, Jason Scully (1-01), Darragh Campion (0-01); Jordan Morris (1-02, 0-01m, 0-01f), Donal Lenihan (2-02, 0-02f), Shane Walsh.
Subs: Diarmuid Moriarty for Walsh 13, Shane Crosby for O'Sullivan 38-40 blood, Brian Conlon for McGowan 49, Crosby for Campion 53, Shane McEntee for Scully 68.
Clare: David Sexton; Cillian Brennan, Ronan Lanigan, Manus Doherty; Jamie Malone (0-01); Alan Sweeney, Pearse Lillis (0-01), Cian O'Dea; Cathal O'Connor, Darragh Bohannon (0-01); Dermot Coughlan (0-01), Emmett McMahon (0-05, 0-03f), Ciaran Downes; Podge Collins (0-01), Gavin Cooney (0-03, 0-02f).
Subs: Aaron Griffin (0-01) for Downes h/t, Darren Nagle for Lanigan 38-47 blood, Ikem Ugweru for Coughlan 49, Daniel Walsh for Sweeney 54, Mark McInerney (0-02, 0-02f) for Cooney 61, Dan Keating for O'Connor 63.
Referee: Niall Cullen (Fermanagh).
