Clare finished their seventh successive Division 2 campaign on a high when brushing aside the challenge of neighbours Limerick in Cusack Park, Ennis.
With both sides disappointingly demoted to the third tier with a game to spare, the Banner at least used this dead rubber Shannonside derby to inject fresh blood into their line-up and still ease to their first points since the opening day.
Leading from start to finish, nothing but a home victory ever seemed on the cards. However, with a James Naughton-led revival on the restart, Limerick did rally briefly to slash an eight point interval deficit to five by the 41st minute.
A full reprove would disappear once Adrian Enright was red-carded for an off-the-ball incident near the turn of the final quarter followed almost immediately by the clinching score as Daniel Walsh teed up Mark McInerney to find the net at 1-11 to 0-06.
With that, Clare drove relentless to the line aided by impressive point-scoring hauls for Emmet McMahon (2) and Aaron Griffin (2) while the hard-working Ciaran Downes fleshed out the final margin with a 70th minute goal.
In front of an attendance of 1,041, hosts Clare welcomed the conditions to carve out an early cushion as Keelan Sexton (2), Emmet McMahon. Daniel Walsh, Aaron Griffin and Podge Collins powered their side to a 0-6 to 0-1 advantage by the 14th minute.
Griffin was also denied a goal by Limerick captain Donal O'Sullivan as was Mark McInerney in injury-time as the Banner, mainly through Keelan Sexton, cantered to an 0-11 to 0-03 half-time lead.
Naughton’s three point blitz on the restart did offer the visitors renewed hope but once Enright was dismissed, it was damage limitation for Limerick who possessed nine starters from last year’s Munster Championship quarter-final clash in contrast to only five from Clare.
Limerick actually finished with 13 players as Peter Nash was black-carded in additional time in what has been a thoroughly forgettable Division 2 campaign.
Clare meanwhile, will be satisfied to have stopped the rot after five successive defeats as they now welcome Cork to Ennis for their Munster Championship opener in a fortnight’s time, with the winners to face none other than Limerick at the semi-final stage.
Clare: Stephen Ryan; Micheál Garry, Ciaran Russell, Cillian Rouine; Ikem Ugwueru, Jamie Malone, Daniel Walsh (0-01); Emmet McMahon (0-05, 0-01f), Darragh Bohannon; Brendy Rouine, Podge Collins (0-01), Ciaran Downes (1-00); Mark McInerney (1-02, 0-02f), Keelan Sexton (0-05, 0-02f), Aaron Griffin (0-03)
Subs: Pearse Lillis for B. Rouine (46), Shane Griffin (0-01) for Sexton (52), Darren Nagle for Russell (62), Dan Keating for Bohannon (62)
Limerick: Donal O'Sullivan; Jim Liston, Sean O’Dea, Brian Fanning; Gordon Brown, Barry Coleman, Cian Sheehan (0-01); Cillian Fahy, Colm McSweeney; Adrian Enright, Killian Ryan (0-01), Paul Maher; Peter Nash (0-02), James Naughton (0-05, 0-02f), Davy Lyons
Subs: Brian Donovan for Ryan (HT), Aaron O’Sullivan for D. O’Sullivan (HT), Tony McCarthy for Brown (53), Dara Noonan for Lyons (53), Cormac Woulfe for Fanning (57)
Referee: Barry Judge (Sligo)
