Clare completed phase one of the National Hurling League in style after putting newcomers Down to the sword in front of 4,960 in Zimmer Biomet Páirc Chíosóg in Ennis.
It was essentially a timely reminder of the chasm between the respective races for Liam McCarthy and Joe McDonagh Cups as aside from the opening nine minutes in which the sides were level three times, it would be predominantly one way traffic for the remaining hour.
With 12 different scorers including a combined ten-point haul from three starting league debutants Senan Dunford (5), Diarmuid Stritch (3) and Niall O'Farrell (2), it was a worthy run-out for the Banner who also welcomed back the county’s most experienced championship player John Conlon from a serious finger injury that threatened to end his inter-county career last autumn.
Indeed, along with the aforementioned triumvirate, home manager Brian Lohan also handed a starting National League bow to Ross Hayes while current Under 20’s Ronan Kilroy and Jamie Moylan made their senior debuts off the bench in a commanding 29-point triumph.
On the flip side, it was a sobering reality check for Ronan Sheehan’s Down who started brightly and twice took the lead led by talisman Pearse Óg McCrickland. However, at 0-04 to 0-04 by the ninth minute, it was the home side that would produce a sea-change in proceedings as they rattled off the next nine points through Mark Rodgers (3), Jack Kirwan (2), Senan Dunford, David Reidy, Darragh Lohan and Diarmuid Stritch to power 0-13 to 0-04 in front by the 24th minute.
McCrickard stopped the rot but it was only temporary reprieve as the hosts unleashed another nine point surge to the break bookended by points for Cathal Malone while Shane Meehan and top-scorer Rodgers also garnered a pair of points each to ease to a 0-22 to 0-07 interval advantage.
To their credit, Down did match the home side in the third quarter and even carved out a goal chance for Shea Pucci that would be smothered. However, once the Banner honed their radar once more, they would produce a devastating finish as goal for Mark Rodgers, David Fitzgerald and substitute Peter Duggan in the first nine minutes of the final quarter fleshed out the final margin.
With a fortnight’s break to come, Clare have one foot in the Division 1B final with a perfect record so far while in contrast Down have three weeks before resuming their survival bid away to Dublin.
Clare: Eibhear Quilligan; Ross Hayes, Conor Cleary, Dylan McMahon; Cathal Malone (0-3), John Conlon, Niall O’Farrell (0-2); Darragh Lohan (0-2), Diarmuid Stritch (0-3); Jack Kirwan (0-3), David Reidy (0-2), Senan Dunford (0-5); David Fitzgerald (1-0), Mark Rodgers (1-9, 6f), Shane Meehan (0-3)
Subs: Conor Leen for Conlon (HT), Colm O’Meara (0-2) for Lohan (HT), Peter Duggan (1-1) for Reidy (45), Ronan Kilroy for Cleary (49), Jamie Moylan for Stritch (59)
Down: Pearce Smyth; Ben Teggart, Ruairi McCrickard, Tom Murray; Barry Trainor, Caolan Taggart, Niall McFarland; Donal Hughes, Matthew Conlon; Eoghan Sands (0-1), Pearse Óg McCrickard (0-7, 3f), Daithi Sands (0-3); Liam Savage, Ronan Beatty, Shea Pucci (0-1)
Subs: Paul Sheehan (0-1) for Savage (HT), Finn Turpin (0-1) for Pucci (43), Ronan Smyth for Murray (45), Cathal Coleman (0-1) for Beatty (49), Donal Óg Rooney for Trainor (61), Ben Christie for R. McCrickard (70, inj)
Referee: Thomas Walsh (Waterford)
