Cats brush aside hapless Clare

Clare 1-9 Kilkenny 3-16

Clare fell to their fifth straight defeat in Allianz NHL Division 1 as this top-versus-bottom clash ended in another slick win for Kilkenny.

The Cats purred early on in Ennis, moving 0-5 to 0-0 ahead thanks to points from Richie Power (0-2), Aidan Fogarty, Richie Hogan and late inclusion Henry Shefflin.

Dominant in the air and winning the breaking balls, the visitors oozed quality and Clare, despite their huff and puff, were the complete opposite.

The Banner men hit six wides before free-taker Colin Ryan opened their account.

The Newmarket-on-Fergus forward took his points tally to three and Tony Carmody also added his name to the scoresheet as Kilkenny’s lead was cut to 0-6 to 0-4.

Power missed a goal-scoring chance when he smacked an effort off the post, midway through the half, and Clare remained competitive up to the interval.

Points from Power and Shefflin helped the Cats to a 0-9 to 0-6 half-time lead, with Ryan hitting five of the hosts’ points.

Brian Cody introduced Eoin Larkin for the second half and he made an immediate impact, making the pass for an Aidan Fogarty goal after only

49 seconds’ play.

Fogarty’s first-time finish was quickly followed by two more Clare wides but Ryan did convert his sixth successful free before being taken off.

Shefflin and Niall Gilligan then swapped points before Larkin was once again the instigator for a Kilkenny goal.

He floated a peach of a ball in and with the Clare rearguard badly exposed, Shefflin was on hand to kick the sliotar to the net.

Clare bounced back when substitute Barry Nugent scrambled home a goal with his first touch but the contest was effectively over when Fogarty fired home his second goal in the 58th-minute and Power followed up with a point, just moments later.