Group 3 of the All-Ireland SFC will boil down to a top-of-the-table decider between Monaghan and Down, plus an effwhat is ectively a knockout clash between Louth and Clare, following a game of two halves in Clones.
Producing a reaction to their heavy loss to Down, Clare made a mockery of the pre-match odds by building up a double-scores half-time lead with the wind at their backs, but Monaghan outscored them by 1-18 to 1-02 after the restart to remain behind the Mourne men only on score-difference heading into the final round of the group stage.
Monaghan could afford to kick 14 wides and still get the win, helped by 0-08 from Jack McCarron, a goal by Conor McCarthy and a significant impact from their subs.
Monaghan started brightly with early points from Conor McCarthy, Ryan McAnespie and Mícheál Bannigan, with Daniel Walsh kicking Clare's only score of the first 13 minutes, but the Banner grew into the game in some style towards the end of the opening quarter.
Clare’s frequent raids down the right flank led to two-pointers from Conor Meaney (two), Eoin Cleary and Mark McInerney, which propelled them into a healthy lead.
Dessie Ward ended 13 scoreless minutes for Monaghan, who also saw corner-forwards Jack McCarron and Stephen Mooney open their accounts late in the half, but Aaron Griffin replied to leave Clare in command at half-time: 0-14 to 0-07.
Monaghan began the second half with much more purpose, as McCarron kicked 0-5 inside the first ten minutes, including a brace of two-pointers, before McCarthy scythed through to drill home the opening goal, which edged them ahead for the first time since the early stages.
David Garland also found his range from outside the arc and he was joined on the scoresheet by fellow subs Aaron Carey and Andrew Woods, with veteran Darren Hughes joining them in making an impact off the bench.
Clare took 23 minutes to get their first score of the half from McInerney, but they gave themselves a glimmer of hope when a point from Dermot Coughlan was swiftly followed by a palmed goal from Aaron Griffin.
Monaghan’s cushion was down to four on 66 minutes, but Rory Beggan converted a pair of two-point frees late on to see the hosts finish with nine to spare.
Monaghan: Rory Beggan (0-05, 4f, 1 '45); Dylan Byrne, Killian Lavelle, Ryan Wylie; Dessie Ward (0-01), Ryan O’Toole, Kieran Duffy; Mícheál McCarville, Gary Mohan; Stephen O’Hanlon (0-01), Conor McCarthy (1-01), Ryan McAnespie (0-01); Mícheál Bannigan (Capt, 0-03, 1f), Jack McCarron (0-08, 2 tp, 1 tpf, 1f), Stephen Mooney (0-01).
Subs: Aaron Carey (0-01) for Lavelle (ht); Darren Hughes for Mohan (41), David Garland (0-02, 1 tp) for Mooney (41), Ciarán McNulty for McAnespie (52), Andrew Woods (0-01) for Duffy (61).
Clare: Éamon Tubridy; Rory McMahon, Ronan Lanigan, Manus Doherty; Alan Sweeney, Ikem Ugwueru, Fionn Kelleher; Brian McNamara, Daniel Walsh (0-02); Conor Meaney (0-04, 2 tp), Dermot Coughlan (0-01), Shane Griffin; Mark McInerney (0-04, 1 tp, 1f), Eoin Cleary (Capt, 0-02, 1 tp), Aaron Griffin (1-03, 1f).
Subs: Jamie Stack for McMahon (56), Evan Cahill for Walsh (63), Darren Nagle for Sweeney (67).
Referee: Jerome Henry (Mayo).
