Clare scored a surprise 2-10 to 0-14 victory over Ger Loughnane's Galway in the much-hyped SHC qualifier at Ennis. The winners were the best team throughout and produced some of their trademark spirit and character to record a famous win that should see them top their group. Even though the Banner County had the best of the first half, Galway landed three successive late scores to go in level at the short whistle. David Tierney opened the scoring for Galway but Clare quickly slammed in 1-1 - a Declan O'Rourke goal and a Niall Gilligan point - to take a useful early lead. Another Gilligan free stretched the differential to four points after ten minutes. Eugene Clooney steadied the Tribesmen when he drove over a huge free. Ger Loughnane's side had been dominated for the entire opening 15 minutes but - worryingly for Clare - trailed only by the goal. The groans were almost audible when Gilligan missed his third free from four attempts and the home support at Ennis began to feel nervous. To compound the Banner woes, Clooney sent over his second successive free to close the gap to two. The teams then struck a point apiece inside a minute. From all of 100 metres, Gerry Quinn split the posts with another Clare free and Richie Murray cancelled that out with an immediate score from play. Kevin Broderick brought Galway back within a point again, 0-5 to 1-3, before Barry Nugent came close to registering a second Clare goal. However, his miss-hit shot was deflected out for a 65, which Quinn sent over the bar to put two back between them. Gilligan's first point from play made it 1-5 to 0-5 and Cloonan maintained his 100% record from frees as Galway stayed in touch before Kerril Wade reduced the gap to one again with a mighty score. Wade's injury-time goal effort was knocked wide and from the resultant 65 Cloonan hit the target again. At half time, Clare, who had bossed much of the game, were very disappointed just to be on level terms, 1-5 to 0-8. There were only five points in the first 15 minutes of the second half. Galway got the first three, including scores from Cloonan (free) and Murray, before Clare responded through Colin Lynch and Gilligan to close within one - 0-11 to 1-7. Clare stormed ahead with 1-1 inside a minute. Lynch sent over a long-range point and Gilligan was on hand to fire the sliothar to the net: 2-8 to 0-11. Portumna's Eoin Lynch pulled one back for Galway but Declan O'Rourke cancelled that score out with a nice score for the hosts. Galway came back with points from Murray and David Forde but Clare had the final say in injury time to win by two. Clare - P Brennan; G O'Grady, F Lohan, K Dilleen; A Markham, G Quinn 0-2, B Bugler; B O'Connell, C Lynch 0-2; D O'Rourke 1-0, D McMahon 0-2, A Quinn; N Gilligan 1-4, B Nugent, D O'Connell. Subs - J Clancy for A Quinn, D Quinn for D O'Connell, J McInerney for G Quinn. Galway - C Callanan; S Kavanagh, T Óg Regan, D Collins; D Hardiman, J Lee, G Mahon; R Murray 0-3, D Tierney 0-1; A Kerins, D Forde 0-1, I Tannian 0-1; K Wade 0-2, E Cloonan 0-5, D Hayes. Subs - F Healy for Óg Regan, K Broderick for Tierney, E Lynch 0-1 for Wade. Referee - D Murphy (Wexford) Tweet

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