Clare 3-15 Laois 1-11Anthony Daly's first league game in charge of the Clare hurling team proved to be a stroll in the springtime sun in Portlaoise yesterday.

Within five minutes of the throw-in David Forde had posted three points on the board and the game was 10 minutes old when the home side got their opening point through David Cuddy.

By the time Cuddy added Laois's second point, Forde had added a further point and Niall Gilligan a goal to put Clare 1-7 to 0-2 ahead.

Converted full forward Frank Lohan added his side's second goal and although Laois finished the half the stronger with three good points from James Young, Damian Culleton and Canice Coonan, as well as a last-minute goal from Liam Tynan, Clare still led 2-10 to 1-5 at the break.

After the changeover the home side had wind advantage but when Frank Lohan added his second goal 10 minutes into the half, the game as a contest was well and truly over.

In the final quarter Daly experimented and Clare used their full quota of substitutes.

CLARE: D Fitzgerald; R O'Looney, C Harrison, B O'Connell; C Forde, J Reddan, G Quinn; O Baker, C Lynch (0-1); A Markham (0-2), C Plunkett, T Griffin (0-2); N Gilligan (1-4), F Lohan (2-1), D Forde (0-5). Subs: J O'Connor for O Baker, B McPhillips for C Forde, G O'Grady for G Quinn, A Quinn for A Markham, A Quinn for C Plunkett.

LAOIS: K Galvin; L Mahon, P Cuddy, C Cuddy (0-1); J Fitzpatrick (0-1), P Mahon, M McEvoy; J Young (0-2), J Walsh; C Coonan (0-1), L Tynan (1-0), J Dwyer; T Fitzgerald, D Cuddy (0-5), D Culleton (0-1). Subs: C Brophy for S Dwyer, F Keenan for P Mahon, D Walsh for L Mahon, J Dunne for D Culleton.

Referee J Kelly (Wexford).