Gilligan instrumental as Clare hit high notes again

And so it came to pass. Clare's replay track record was enhanced with another big win in yesterday's Guinness All-Ireland quarterfinal against a fairly feeble challenge from Connacht champions Galway.

In none of the areas where they had prospered eight days previously did Galway maintain their performance levels. Joe Cooney did his best at centrefield but even his efforts couldn't coax a response from a thoroughly-subdued attack.

There was an emblematic moment in the 62nd minute when Cooney gained possession and encouragingly laid off a hand-pass into his attack. Instantly the ball was returned to him and having divined no further opening he trundled forward and, in what seemed exasperation, popped the point himself from out the field.

The one improvement which Galway managed was in goal where Michael Crimmins came in as a late replacement for Damien Howe, who was dropped after an unconvincing display in the drawn match - although the decision wasn't announced until before the throw-in.

Crimmins gave such a commanding performance, particularly under dropping ball, that it was impossible not to speculate as to the impact his selection might have had last week given that Howe had obviously been deemed in some way culpable for the chaos in the goalmouth during the drawn match - despite the succession of injury-enforced changes in his full-back line.

It was a convincing display by Clare and a happy rediscovery of form for the team at the right time of a season in which they have struggled to establish a consistent rhythm. Now with their injury problems cleared up and a reportedly mellower attitude to preparation, they are two matches away from a third All-Ireland in five years.

Again their attack proved prolific when faced with maroon jerseys. In their three championship matches against Galway, Clare have racked up nine goals; in the 16 other matches since playing their neighbours in 1995, they have managed only 15 - and that includes three against Kerry in 1997.

Yesterday's three goals were well-timed and although two were touched by serendipity, there was no arguing with Niall Gilligan's touch in the two he bagged while amassing a total of 2-3.

While his display was the most eye-catching in Clare's attack, the collective effort was also well served by a fine first half from Alan Markham and the re-assuring sight of Jamesie O'Connor's gradual rehabilitation in what was his first start since breaking an arm in the Tipperary replay two months ago.

With all the forwards, except O'Connor who scored two frees, on the mark from play, the total was always going to be hard for Galway to match.

Although the losers' final margin of defeat was seven points, this was unrepresentative of Clare's overwhelming superiority which would have been more accurately reflected by the 10-point lead which Eugene Cloonan's last-minute goal diluted.

To give Galway credit, they just about stayed the pace on the first two occasions on which Clare had tipped the accelerator, but when the Munster finalists out-scored their opponents 1-5 to 0-2 between the 52nd and 67th minutes to take the lead to 10 points, there was no comeback.

The foundation of the attack's dominance was laid in the drawn match when Clare's mentors gradually came to terms with Galway's defence. Again yesterday Conor Clancy gave Cathal Moore plenty of problems on the 40 and once Gilligan got into his stride, he accumulated scores to go with his 11 in the first match.

There was something of a contest at centrefield where Cooney and Fergus Flynn grappled with a subdued Ollie Baker and Colin Lynch, who was the best of the quartet with a tireless performance which included two points.

Complementing these advantages, Clare's defence smothered their opponents with a vigorous and tight display of marking. Brian Quinn will feel a bit mortified that Cloonan got two goals from play, but they were the only scores which Galway's attack managed outside of the succession of dead-ball conversions which gave Cloonan a fat return of 2-10 for an afternoon when he wasn't as prominent as his personal total might suggest.

Ollie Fahy was unable to recreate the menace of the drawn match when he plucked 2-2 from under Brian Lohan's nose and on the wing Alan Kerins - who was unwell during the week - didn't have remotely the same impact, although he won a number of frees which were as good as scores, given Cloonan's form (2-10 and one wide).

Finally, Joe Rabbitte, who had his moments of making life awkward for Sean Mcmahon in the first match, never troubled his imperious marker this time out.

As has been the precedent with Clare in replays, they started furiously and established a 1-5 to 0-3 lead at the end of the first quarter. The goal was a fine piece of individualism from Gilligan who was sent through by Clancy and cut in along the endline before finishing.

Clare might legitimately have had a penalty two minutes later when O'Connor was hauled down in the square, but play went on for Galligan to hit the post before the ball was cleared. There were sufficient signs that Galway had come to terms with the early scoring storm and gradually they edged back into the match.

In the 20th minute, Sean McMahon tumbled Cloonan for a penalty which the offended himself nonchalantly struck over the bar to cut the margin to a goal. Clare's early fury calmed, the match was evenly contested until the break, at which stage Galway trailed by only two, 0-8 to 1-7.

Disaster struck early on the restart as corner back Vinnie Maher fell down injured after a clash with Markham and was unable to pursue the breaking ball which ran across the goal for the incoming PJ O'Connell to have a clear run. Luckily for him he was far enough out to eventually be able to bring the ball under control and his finish was decisive. Thirty seconds were on the second-half clock.

The match was drifting beyond Galway's reach and Kevin Broderick was called off in the 43rd minute despite not having been given a run on the inside where he might have added more threat to the team's attacks.

Replacement Justin Campbell was energetic on the right wing but to no significant end. Galway staged a mini-recovery after Cloonan tapped in Kerins's dropping ball in the 47th minute and added a point two minutes later.

But the tin hat was put on proceedings at the end of the third quarter - fittingly by Gilligan, who tenaciously persevered through a couple of blocks and when the ball popped up for him, he buried it. This time Galway had no answers.

Clare play Kilkenny in the semi-final in a fortnight's time. It has been an uneven year for them but they're still in business.