Galway maintained their perfect start to life in Division Two as they chalked up their fifth win of the campaign with a deserved 2-08 to 1-05 win at Tuam Stadium.
The sides were level at 1-02 apiece at the break with Clare having played with the strong breeze on a wet afternoon in Galway.
Colm Collins' men enjoyed a blistering start when Cillian Rouine went forward to shoot to the net for the opening score of the match in the third minute.
Johnny Heaney and Eoin Cleary then exchanged points from distance to leave Clare ahead by 1-01 to 0-01 after eleven minutes.
A fisted point from Damien Comer sparked a good spell for the Tribesmen and Rob Finnerty found the net after being set up by Shane Walsh to take the lead after 15 minutes.
Finnerty was black-carded after being pinged for a trip on Manus Doherty but all Clare could manage with the extra man was an equalising point from a free from Cleary five minutes from the break.
David Tubridy edged Clare in front when he pointed a mark two minutes after the restart but Galway took over from there and shot 1-05 without reply in the next 19 minutes.
Kieran McHugh and Dylan McHugh went forward to shoot good points and then disaster struck for Clare when a quick kic-kout from goalkeeper Tristan O’Callaghan was intercepted by Heaney and he in turn set up Comer for a goal to hand Galway a 2-04 to 1-03 lead after 42 minutes.
A second point of the game from Heaney and a fine effort from Paul Conroy extended the lead before Matthew Tierney, captaining Galway for the first time in the absence of Sean Kelly, also found the range to lead by 2-07 to 1-03 before Keelan Sexton pointed a free to end a 21-minute barren spell for Clare.
Dessie Conneely became the eighth Galway player to score when he landed a good point before Jamie Malone got Clare’s first point from play in 70 minutes when he struck in the dying moments.
Galway: Conor Flaherty; Jack Glynn, Liam Silke, Kieran Molloy (0-1); Dylan McHugh (0-1), John Daly, Cillian McDaid; Paul Conroy (0-1), Matthew Tierney (0-1); Paul Kelly, Damien Comer (1-1), Johnny Heaney (0-2); Owen Gallagher, Robert Finnerty (1-0), Shane Walsh.
Subs: Finnian Ó Laoí for Gallagher (46), Eoin Finnerty for Walsh (48), Dessie Conneely (0-1) for R Finnerty (54), Dylan Canney for Comer (63), Niall Daly for Kelly (67).
Clare: Tristan O Callaghan; Cillian Rouine (1-0), Manus Doherty, Cillian Brennan; Eoghan Collins, Cian O’Dea, Alan Sweeney; Ciarán Russell, Darren O’Neill; Podge Collins, Eoin Cleary (0-2, 1f), Aaron Griffin; Jamie Malone (0-1), Keelan Sexton (0-1, 1f), David Tubridy (0-1, 1m).
Subs: Emmet McMahon for P Collins (7), Joe McGann for Sweeney (34), Gavin Cooney for Tubridy (62), Conor Jordan for Rouine (62), Daniel Walsh for Griffin (62).Referee: Conor Lane (Cork).
