Gilligan and Clare lack edge

Clare 2-14 Laois 1-11:Clare completed their championship qualifiers with a less than impressive win over a gritty Laois at Portlaoise on Saturday.

This was the first meeting of the counties in the championship since they clashed three years ago when Clare progressed on a score line of 7-19 to 2-15 before they lost a replayed All-Ireland quarter-final to Kilkenny.

On that occasion Niall Gilligan accounted for two goals and 10 points. On Saturday he was substituted with 10 minutes remaining having failed to score. This will concern manager Tony Considine more than anything else as he plots the downfall of Limerick next weekend.

The home team, who have failed to win a qualifier since beating Westmeath three years ago, opened well and led by 0-3 to 0-1 after 10 minutes thanks to James Young and John Brophy.

The visitors drew level with points from James McInerney Derek Quinn and full forward Barry Nugent.

The second quarter followed a similar pattern with Clare outscoring the home team by four points to one and at the interval they led 0-7 to 0-4.

Within a minute of the restart the teams were level as after a foul on a Laois player James Young drilled a powerful shot to the net. Within a minute the visitors were back in front when Nugent crashed home a goal from 20 metres.

The visitors added points from Diarmuid McMahon and when Colin Lynch scored a good goal midway through the second half the game began to grind to its inevitable conclusion.

Clare have now bounced back from the infamous 'Semplegate' affair but whether they can progress further than last year's heavy quarter-final defeat by Kilkenny only time will tell.

CLARE: P Brennan; G O'Grady, F Lohan, A Gilmartin; A Markham, J McInerney (0-1), B Bugler; B O'Connell (0-1), C Lynch (1-0); D O'Rourke (0-1), D McMahon (0-5), J Clancy; N Gilligan, B Nugent (1-3), D Quinn (0-3). Subs: D O'Connell for O'Rourke, A Quinn for Gilligan, P Vaughan for Markham, D Shannon for D McMahon, B McMahon for Lynch

LAOIS: T Doran; C Healy, M McEvoy, C Fitzpatrick; J Fitzpatrick (0-1), M Whelan (0-1), John Walsh; James Walsh, D McGill; T Fitzgerald, B McEvoy, J Brophy (0-2); D Bergin, J Young (1-7), E Jackman. Subs: B Fitzgerald for Jackman, W Hyland for Bergin, R Young for James Walsh, J Prior for C Fitzpatrick, M Bermingham for John Walsh.

Referee: J Ryan (Tipperary).