Holders Kerry defeated Clare by 2-16 to 1-6 in their Munster minor football championship opener at Austin Stack Park.

Munster and All-Ireland champions in each of the past three years, the Kingdom led by 20 points after 38 minutes and eased up thereafter safe in the knowledge that they had done enough to book a semi-final berth on May 10^th. Cork and Limerick are also through to the last four, after beating Tipperary and Waterford respectively tonight. David Clifford (1-4) and Donal O'Sullivan (1-6) fired the winners' goals inside the first seven minutes of a very one-sided contest.

Kerry have now gone 19 games unbeaten in the minor championship since losing to Tyrone in an All-Ireland quarter-final in 2013.

The Banner will return to action against Na Deise in a losers' play-off next Wednesday, with the winners of that advancing to meet the Premier County for the fourth semi-final spot.

Bidding for a fifth successive provincial crown in the under 18 grade, the hosts hit the ground running to put the bed well and truly to bed in the first half, building up a whopping 13-point half-time lead, 2-10 to 1-0.

Full forward and team captain Clifford had the ball in the Clare net for the first time in the fifth minute and the Kingdom already had three points on the board by then so the Fossa ace's strike doubled their lead, 1-3 to no score. The game was effectively done and dusted two minutes later when Kilgarvan's O'Sullivan added the second Kerry major.

Trailing by 2-5 to no score at the midway stage in the first half, the Banner County finally opened their account in the 16^th minute through Gearoid Cahill, who plundered a goal - his side's only score of the opening period - but the hosts reeled off five unanswered points before the short whistle.

Kerry added four more points in the first eight minutes of the second half and Clare replied with five points of their own in the 44^th, 49^th, 50^th, 51^st and 55th minutes with the game long since over as anything resembling a meaningful contest. The last four scores were traded as the reigning provincial and All-Ireland champions - who had centre back Eddie Horan dismissed late on for a second yellow card - advanced at a canter.

Kerry - D Uosis; R O'Neill, C O'Donoghue, S O'Leary; M Potts, E Horan (0-1), P Warren; B Mahony (0-1), D O'Connor; A Donoghue, B Friel (0-1), F Clifford (0-1); Donnachadh O'Sullivan (0-1), D Clifford (1-4, 0-1'45), Donal O'Sullivan (1-6, 0-4f). Subs: M Slattery for B Friel, N Donohoe (0-1) for P Warren, C O'Reilly for S O'Leary, J Griffin for F Clifford, C Firtear for D O'Sullivan, M O'Leary for M Potts.

Clare - M Lillis; J Sheedy, J O'Sullivan, J Miniter; F Donnellan, K White, C McNelis; D Griffin, P Kelly; S Rouine, C O'Donoghue, D Ryan (0-1); G Cooney (0-3, 1f), D Coughlan (0-2, 1f), G Cahill (1-0). Subs: R Considine for C O'Donoghue, A McNamara for G Cahill, C McMahon for P Kelly, A O'Brien for K White, R O'Doherty for D Griffin, R Phelan for D Ryan.

Referee - D Murnane.

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