RIGHT to the heart of the matter. A pitch below the hill, smoke curling into the November sky, a whole town in rapture. Clonakilty on a winter's day feels as near to the centre of the GAA as you can get. What a great competition the club championship is.

They keep telling Clonakilty that they have reached their summit, planted their flag. If the evidence of this bone numbing Munster semi final is anything to go by, Clonakilty are still climbing. They entertained a more experienced Doonbeg side yesterday, laid out a welcome and then ambushed them - on the field that is. The team that wasn't supposed to be playing senior football any more duly reached the provincial final.

Doonbeg must have fancied themselves for a return to the Munster final which they last graced a few years ago. However, a team sprinkled with inter county stars never truly found its rhythm and, faced with a tough and resourceful Clonakilty defence, they ran out of ideas long before they ran out of time.

They started well, Francis McInerney slotting over a free kick in a manner which suggested that he had come with his confidence intact. That slender lead was overhauled within a minute, however, in the most swaggering fashion imaginable. Eoin O'Mahoney, Clonakilty's bulky but effective centre forward, launched a huge kick from 50 yards over the Doonbeg bar and the applause was still echoing when he grabbed a loose ball on the right touchline and repeated the trick from the same distance. Two glorious scores.

Clonakilty led from there until the end. They had the gift of a goal on 13 minutes, one of those freakish twists which assure a side that its luck is in.

Padraig Griffin, a lively presence at that stage, launched a point effort from the left. His kick lacked momentum and dropped limply off the Doonbeg post right into the arms of Terry Dillon who, surprised perhaps, completely miskicked. Instead of being slotted home with his left foot the ball dribbled down his leg and rolled tamely off his right boot. If Dillon had conceived his miscue as a dummy he couldn't have fooled the goalkeeper more comprehensively.

By half time, Clonakilty were leading 1-5 to 0-4.

Doonbeg had tactical worries. In an effort, to stymie young Padraig Griffin (son of former Kerry All Ireland winner Pat), Doonbeg had shifted Padraig Conway to a wing back position. As the game wore on, Conway got to grips with Griffin but his lively presence was missing from the stale Doonbeg attack.

Worse. At midfield Doonbeg were being comprehensively outmanoeuvred. Terry Dillon had moved to the middle third of the pitch after his goal and with himself and O'Mahoney supplementing an already muscular midfield duo, Clonakilty were winning most of the high ball. At the break, Clonakilty strengthened their hand still further, withdrawing Billy Crowley and introducing Derek Dillon. This move bore fruit in the second half when Francis McInerney joined the midfield mayhem on behalf of the Clare champions.

Doonbeg had the first two scores of the second half and suddenly found themselves breathing down Cork necks. Terry Dillon and Eoin O'Mahoney restored Clonakilty's four point advantage before Doonbeg got the break that the run of play demanded.

Brian Shanahan was fouled under the Clonakilty posts. Doonbeg were alarmed to see Francis McInerney slot the penalty wide. From the kick out, however, play broke their way and Padraig Conway, newly restored to attacking duties, picked up a loose ball some 20 yards out and drove the ball low into the corner of the Clonakilty net.

One point between the teams, 11 minutes left.

Remarkably, Clonakilty rallied to reclaim the momentum. Again it was Eoin O'Mahoney who hauled them into contention with a pair of points which again put Clonakilty three points clear.

Now was a time for heroics and few contributed more than Paddy Barrett, the grey haired wing back with the sledgehammer shoulders, who suddenly seemed capable of disrupting every attack which Doonbeg contrived. Behind him Diarmuid Cahill was having a splendid game at full back, while in front of him green and red Clonakilty shirts were flooding the midfield.

The lithe speed of corner forward Kenneth Meade was used to good effect late in the game. Meade, under utilised for much of the hour, suddenly began making his presence felt, using his remarkable speed to turn off his marker and get on the end of a few passes delivered in desperation.