Clare cruised to an emphatic 4-27 to 0-14 victory against Westmeath in Ennis this afternoon to get their Allianz Hurling League Division 1 Group A campaign off to a flying start.
Mark Rodgers hammered in two first-half goals for the Banner men to help them lead 2-10 to 0-7 at the half and more goals from Ian Galvin and substitute Aron Shanagher after the turnaround sealed the emphatic win.
All in all, Brian Lohan’s side hit 4-22 from play over the 70 minutes while, on the opposite end, Doyle twins Killian and Ciaran accounted combined for 0-10 of the Lake men’s 0-14 tally.
Aidan McCarthy top-scored for Clare with 0-10 as their campaign with a 25-point rout ahead of next Saturday’s second round meeting with neighbours Limerick.
In Division 1 Group B, there was no separating Waterford and Dublin as it finished 2-19 to 3-16 at Fraher Field.
In the end, it was Donal Burke’s free in the seventh minute of injury-time that snatched a share of the spoils for the capital men.
The hosts saw both Jack Fagan and Stephen Bennett red carded in the second-half and, despite the Deise racing 1-5 to 0-0 in front, Dublin would battle back to go in level at half-time thanks to two Cillian O’Sullivan goals.
Burke’s penalty gave the visitors a 3-11 to 2-13 lead with 17 minutes to go but Waterford battled back and Austin Gleeson looked to have won it in injury-time with a superb point until Burke’s late, late free.
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