Galway chalked up their second win in this season's Allianz League when a strong opening-half performance laid the foundation for a 2-21 to 0-20 victory over an understrength Clare side at Pearse Stadium.
The Tribesmen led by 2-15 to 0-11 at the end of the opening half with Loughrea’s Anthony Burns, starting his first league game for the Tribesmen, shooting 2-02 from play.
Clare outscored Galway, who had ten wides in the second half, by 0-09 to 0-06 after the restart but never looked like mounting a serious comeback as they fell to a second defeat.
Galway wore black armbands and there was a minute’s silence before the match in memory of former Galway All-Star and All-Ireland winner Michael Coleman who died in an accident on Friday night.
Clare, with just four of the team that started last year's All-Ireland final, started well and opened up a 0-04 to 0-01 lead after just five minutes with one of those survivors Aidan McCarthy shooting three in a row after Ryan Taylor had got the Banner County off the mark.
But Galway, fielding a much more experienced side despite making six changes from the win over Kilkenny last weekend, got on top and worked the ball well up front despite the scruffy surface.
Burns, starting his first league game for the Tribesmen, brought his superb form from Loughrea’s county title win on to a new level and by the interval he shot 2-02 from play, before landing another point in the second half.
The accuracy of Evan Niland, who landed 0-07 in the opening half, kept Galway in touch but Clare maintained their slender lead with Taylor getting a second point, Cian Galvin scoring from distance and Patrick Crotty landing a brace as McCarthy took his opening half haul to 0-06 by the break.
Galway finally got level after 21 minutes after superb points from either wing from Burns and captain Conor Whelan to tie the match at 0-09 apiece.
Clare goalkeeper Eamonn Foudy produced a second good save to deny Whelan before Galway went back in front for the first time since Burns got them off the mark after just 20 seconds when Niland pointed a ’65 after 23 minutes.
Burns hit the net for the first time a minute later after coming in from the left before McCarthy and Daniel Loftus exchanged points to make it 1-11 to 0-10 nine minutes from the break.
Galway, who lost experienced full-back Daithi Burke to a leg injury after 12 minutes, finished the half strongly. Whelan set up Burns for his second goal and with Darren Morrissey becoming their second corner-back to score, they led by 2-15 to 0-11 at the break after Tom Monaghan got his second point.
Clare outscored Galway by 0-04 to 0-02 in the opening 15 minutes of the second half with David Reidy getting a couple of points for the Banner County and Jack O’Neill and McCarthy also scoring in response to a couple of frees from Niland before he was withdrawn and replaced by Jason Flynn.
Galway had chances to extend their lead but shot four wides in a row before the All-Ireland champions drafted Aron Shanagher and Tony Kelly off the bench and the two experienced attackers immediately added more potency to their attack.
A free and one from play from McCarthy reduced the margin to 2-18 to 0-17 with 13 minutes remaining in the contest but notions of a comeback were dismissed when Padraic Mannion landed a fine point from distance and Flynn pointed a free and Sean Linnane became the ninth player to score when he pointed two minutes from the end.
Galway finished with 13 wides, ten of them in the second half, but with several more experienced players to come back they will hope to push on even though their three remaining league games are away from home.
All-Ireland champions Clare are still waiting to score their first goal in the defence of their Allianz League title as manager Brian Lohan, whose side lost their opening match at home to Kilkenny by 0-23 to 0-21, continues to experiment at this stage of the season.
Galway: Darach Fahy; Daniel Loftus (0-01), Daithi Burke, Darren Morrissey (0-01); Padraic Mannion (0-01), Gavin Lee, Cillian Trayers; Cianan Fahy, Tom Monaghan (0-02); John Fleming, Tiernan Killeen, Brian Concannon; Evan Niland (0-09, 0-07f, 0-01 ’65), Conor Whelan (0-02), Anthony Burns (2-03).
Subs: Fintan Burke for Daithi Burke (12), Jason Flynn (0-01f) for Niland (46), Kevin Cooney for Concannon (46), Sean Linnane (0-01) for Fleming (53), Eoin Lawless for Trayers (65).
Clare: Eamonn Foudy; Ian McNamara, Jack O’Neill (0-01), Adam Hogan; Darragh Lohan, Ross Hayes, Cian Galvin (0-01); Ryan Taylor (0-02), Paddy Donnellan; Patrick Crotty (0-02), Cathal Malone, Sean Rynne; Keith Smyth, David Reidy (0-02), Aidan McCarthy (0-11, 0-8f).
Subs: Rory Hayes for Lohan (35), Aron Shanagher for Smyth (49), Colm O’Meara for Rynne (53), Tony Kelly (0-01) for Donnellan (55), David Conroy for Malone (60).
Referee: M Kennedy (Tipperary).
Watch Allianz League Sunday from 9.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow a live blog on all matches on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app. Listen to updates from around the country on Sunday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1
