Clare take another positive step on road back to the top

Clare 2-12 Laois1-11:RELEGATED LAST season, Clare took a second step on the road back at Portlaoise yesterday when they claimed their second brace of points at the expense of one of the stronger teams in the division.

The visitors, fresh from a comfortable victory a week earlier against Down, went in front after 25 minutes when Colin Ryan ran 50 metres to send a rasping effort past Pat Carroll in the home goal.

Laois enjoyed the best of the opening 20 minutes, with Brian Campion landing three long-range frees from placed balls. Mark Flaherty, scorer of 2-10 a week earlier, notched his side’s opening point but that was to be his total as he made way for Diarmuid McMahon midway through the second half.

Points by Ryan and John Conlon saw the visitors in front by 1-5 to 0-8 at half-time.

Laois rang the changes and came more into the game with the arrival of Tom Fitzgerald and Colin Delaney. Two long-range points by Nicky O’Connell extended the visitors’ lead in the opening five minutes.

Twelve minutes into the new half Fitzgerald was fouled and a penalty awarded; Willie Hyland blasted low and hard to the net and now only a point separated the teams.

But almost immediately Jonathan Clancy increased that to two. Fergal Lynch and Willie Hyland exchanged scores and with 15 minutes remaining two points divided the teams.

Laois produced their best spell, shooting three unanswered points to lead with eight minutes remaining. The lead lasted only 30 seconds, however.

A long ball into the Laois half was seized by substitute Alan Markham and he hammered a powerful shot past the debutant goalkeeper Carroll to leave no way back for the midlanders.

CLARE:P Brennan; P Vaughan, C Dillon, N O'Connell (0-2); D O'Donovan, J McInerney, P Donnellan (0-1); J Clancy (0-1), B O'Connell; S Collins (0-1), J Conlon (0-2), F Lynch (0-1); C Ryan (1-3), M Flaherty (0-1), M Murphy. Subs:A Markham (1-0) for M Murphy (half-time)

LAOIS:P Carroll; J Delaney, D Maher, C Dunne; M Whelan, B Campion (0-3), M McEvoy; O Holohan, B Dunne; E Jackman, J Rowney (0-1), W Hyland (1-4); E Costelloe (0-1), J Brophy (0-1), J Purcell. Subs:N Foyle for Purcell (23 mins), C Delaney for Holohan, T Fitzgerald for Rowney (both half-time), S Dollard (0-1) for Jackman (50 mins), J Dunne for Foyle (66 mins).

Referee:D Richardson (Limerick)