Champions stay on winning roll

Clare's grip on the Munster club hurling title remains unbroken. In yesterday's AIB provincial final at Thurles, St Joesph's Doora-Barefield marched on to within two matches of retaining their All-Ireland title, a feat achieved only once before - by Sarsfields of Galway in 1993 and '94. In the end it was a comfortable win.

For Ballygunner, however, the beating goes on. Four Clare clubs have won the last five Munster titles and the Waterford club have lost to every one of them. In the chilly aftermath, Fergal Hartley remarked ruefully that maybe they'd have to wait until someone else beat the Clare champions if they were to achieve their long-held and long-frustrated ambition to win the province.

He also rated the challenge of St Joseph's as the best his club had faced from Clare. On the evidence of the season to date, that's not an unreasonable claim and yesterday the champions cruised for large stretches of the match before late scores brought their opponents back into range.

The play was strangely reminiscent of the final of three years ago when Ballygunner lost by a point to Wolfe Tones of Shannon. Again the winners scored 4-9 and again the Waterford side gave themselves an almost impossible task by conceding a hefty first-half advantage.

In 1996, they trailed by nine points at the interval and 12 points just after; yesterday it was 10 points at half-time and St Joseph's were never put under sufficiently sustained pressure to endanger their lead until the closing minutes when the margin was pared down to the four points which ultimately separated the teams.

A further similarity was the wideopen aspect of Ballygunner's defence and too frequently they were opened up as St Joseph's swept in behind and took enough of their chances to build a winning total.

The champions' defence held solid, with Ger and David Hoey exceptionally composed, and with Sean McMahon in imperious form at centre back Ballygunner never attained the sort of momentum which might have put the skids under the champions.

They are best known for the presence of three All Stars, McMahon, Ollie Baker and James O'Connor and to a greater extent than is often the case, they reproduce intercounty form on club fields.

Yesterday was no exception with McMahon marking opposition dangerman Paul Flynn well in the second half and clearing his lines with elegant dispatch.

Baker was the best performer in centrefield and after a sluggish start, O'Connor came to life and gave a lung-bursting display in the second half - taking ball deep and getting up the field to good effect with the fourth goal the direct result of his intervention.

Conditions were dominated by the strong wind which blew through the icy wastes of Semple Stadium before a crowd of 5,504.

Ballygunner won the toss and decided to play against the wind in the first half. For a time, they competed well and when Darragh O'Sullivan grabbed a goal in the eighth minute, he put his side 1-1 to 0-3 ahead.

However, Flynn's inability to control a ball in behind the defence on 11 minutes deprived them of what might have been a crucial score.

St Joseph's had wasted chances of their own but their economy was about to improve. In the 13th minute, Ciaran O'Neill broke behind the defence and kicked the ball off the crossbar. Andrew Whelan gathered the attempted clearance and crossed for Greg Baker to crash home the goal.

Within two minutes James O'Connor had driven in a great ball for Whelan; a quick transfer and O'Neill was able to run in unhindered and crack a second goal to bring the score to 2-5 to 1-1. There were just two minutes left in the first half and St Joseph's led by seven points - an attainable target with the wind.

Unfortunately for the Gunners, their opponents weren't quite finished and after Greg Baker was brought down by Niall Warren, McMahon came up and cracked home the penalty to establish the 10-point interval lead which stood at 3-8 to 1-4.

Whelan squandered an opportunity to push the lead out further, and the Waterfordmen got a goal when substitute Paul Foley tipped a dropping ball from Stephen Frampton into the net.

The comeback was stalled in the 46th minute when James O'Connor launched a clearing solo from his own defence. He drove the ball into his attack where Greg Baker deflected it into O'Neill's path. In the race with goalkeeper Ray Whitty, the ball ran through for the full forward to tap into an empty net for a 4-8 to 2-5.

This margin remained until Flynn's late charge which yielded a free and a well-taken goal.

ST JOSEPH'S: C O'Connor; G Hoey, D Cahill, K Kennedy; D Hoey, S McMahon (1-1, goal from penalty, point from free), D O'Driscoll; O Baker (0-1, a sideline), J Considine (0-1); C Mullen (0- 1), N Brodie, J O'Connor (0-2); A Whelan (0-1), C O'Neill (2-1), G Baker (1-1). Subs: F O'Sullivan for Whelan (44 mins); D Daly for Brodie (58 mins).

BALLYGUNNER: R Whitty; N O'Donnell, N Warren, R O'Sullivan; S Frampton (0-1), F Hartley, A Kirwan; T Fives, S Lyons; B O'Sullivan, M Mahony (0-1), T Carroll; P Power (0-1), D O'Sullivan (1-0), P Flynn (1-5, three points from frees, one from 65). Subs: P Foley (1-0) for Lyons (half-time); L Whitty for Mahony (51 mins).

Referee: J McDonnell (Tipperary).