GAELIC GAMES/Clare 5-22 Down 0-6:IT WAS all too easy for the Clare hurlers at Cusack Park, Ennis, yesterday when they hammered the visitors by 31 points in their Division Two, round four game.

The Mourne men’s cause wasn’t helped by the fact Kevin McGarry, in the first half, and Aidan Clarke in the second, were shown red by referee Tommy Ryan.

Wing-back McGarry received a second yellow card on 18 minutes after a high tackle on Clare’s John Conlon, while Clarke got a straight red, 30 seconds after the interval for a wild and dangerous swing that caught the Banner captain Pat Vaughan on the hand.

At half-time the hosts enjoyed a huge 2-12 to 0-2 lead, thanks to goals by Caimin Morey, on 22 minutes, and another three minutes later from Colin Ryan.

The Newmarket club man netted after Down full-back Fintan Conway fouled Morey in possession. Reduced to 13 for almost the entire second period, Down found it almost impossible to stem the Clare tide.

Two goals by substitute Diarmuid McMahon, plus another from play, this time by Ryan emphasised the one-sided nature of the clash.

CLARE: D Tuohy; P Vaughan (capt), C Cooney, D O’Donovan; B Bugler, C Chaplin, P O’Connor; N O’Connell (0-6, frees), C Dillon (0-2), J Conlon (0-3), F Lynch (0-2), J Clancy (0-1), D Honan, C Morey (1-1), C Ryan (2-6, 1-0 pen, 0-2 frees). Subs: D McMahon (2-0) for Lynch (41 mins), C McInerney for Honan (46 mins), S Collins (0-1) for Clancy (52 mins), J McInerney for Cooney (54 mins), M Earley for Vaughan (58 mins).

DOWN: G Clarke; M Hughes, F Conway, S Ennis; K McGarry, C Woods, M Ennis; A Savage, E Clarke (0-3, 0-2 frees); J Coyle (0-2, frees), B Ennis, A O’Prey, S Nicholson, A Clarke, C Mageean (0-1). Subs: D McManus for Nicholson (20 mins), C Coulter for Conway (48 mins), D Toner for O’Prey (53 mins), J Merron for Mageean (56 mins), S Nicholson for Toner (inj, 68 mins).

Referee: T Ryan (Tipperary).