Clare breeze past Dubs

Dublin 0-9 Clare 1-23

Anthony Daly's Clare eased out to an easy defeat of Dublin as Tony Carmody led the Banner side's scoring with a haul of a goal and five points at Parnell Park.

The Clare squad, missing Ger O'Grady (ankle) and Barry Nugent (hamstring), travelled up to the capital by plane and were in obvious mood for a quick return south as they opened up a five-point lead by the ninth minute.

Niall Gilligan, who featured prominently at full-forward and exuded class against out-of-position marker Stephen Hiney, was on target twice, as was Tony Carmody, in Clare's dominant start.

New Dublin manager Tommy McNaughton had only nine days to prepare his troops for this first round qualifier and it showed as they lived off the beef of four meaty David Curtin frees in the first half.

The visitors led 0-11 to 0-5 at the break with returning former captain Kevin Flynn hitting Dublin's only other point - from play.

While the goalmouth action was limited in the opening period to a smart Davy Fitzgerald parry from Dublin's Emmet Carroll, Carmody nipped in to fire past home 'keeper Gary Maguire after three minutes of second half fare.

That score all but ended McNaughton's chances of ending the Dubs' 11-game losing streak in league and championship action, and with Offaly and Waterford still to come in the round-robin group, the home side were in no mood for a comeback bid.

Curtin and Ronan Fallon notched consecutive frees to confirm Dublin's interest but with the result in little doubt.

Banner forwards Carmody, Gilligan (0-6) and Diarmuid McMahon (0-4) earned some shooting pratice late on.