Clare 3-14 Waterford 2-10: Goals from Tony Griffin, Tony Carmody and substitute Dáithí O'Connell helped Clare advance to the top section of the league, at Dungarvan on Saturday.

Clare's opening goal arrived seven minutes before half-time when Carmody found the net after a long-range free by the impressive Seán McMahon, and this score put Clare ahead by 1-7 to 0-7.

It was, however, Waterford who led at the interval, by 1-9 to 1-8, their goal coming from a Paul Flynn 20-metre free on the stroke of half-time, after a foul on Dan Shanahan.

Waterford stretched their lead still further when within three minutes of the resumption Flynn blasted to the net from a penalty after Shanahan was again fouled.

Clare recovered from this setback and hit a purple patch scoring 2-5 in a 20-minute period to turn a four-point deficit into a six-point lead, Waterford's only reply being a Flynn point from a free.

Clare's other goals came from Tony Griffin in the 44th minute and substitute O'Connell nine minutes from the finish.

CLARE: D Fitzgerald; F Lohan, B Lohan, G O'Grady; A Markham, S McMahon (0-4), G Quinn; B O'Connell, C Lynch; T Griffin (1-2), D McMahon (0-1), B Nugent (0-1); A Quinn, N Gilligan (0-4), T Carmody (1-2). Subs: D O'Connell (1-0) for A Quinn, B Lynch for Nugent, C Plunkett for G Quinn (yellow card), D O'Rourke for Gilligan (yellow card), D Hoey for Griffin.

WATERFORD: S Bremmer; T Feeney, F Hartley, E Murphy; T Browne, J Murray, D Coffey; E Kelly (0-3), B Phelan; D Shanahan, M Walsh, P Flynn (2-6); J Mullane (0-1), S Prendergast, P O'Brien. Subs: E McGrath for O'Brien, B Wall for Phelan (yellow card), J Kennedy for Shanahan.

YELLOW CARDS: Clare: G Quinn, N Gilligan; Waterford: Phelan.

Referee: Brian Gavin (Offaly).