No one at Castle Avenue will make great claims from this win over Co Carlow, but as seasonal incentives go Clontarf will take much more home than their second Leinster Senior Cup win in four seasons.
With the All-Ireland League adding to the European Cup next weekend for another packed schedule, Clontarf may usefully remember that they deservedly beat one of the toughest sides in the competition at Donnybrook on Saturday.
Nothing elegant or flamboyant about this, but Clontarf cut their cloth very well, first by negating the principal threat of Carlow number eight Andy Melville from the back of the scrum, and subsequently by defending their line with abrasive purpose when Carlow raised the offensive tempo.
The scoreline flattered in the end for Clontarf, as they grabbed a late try sparked by a streak into the 22 from back row Ben Gissing which was finished with Adrian Clarke humping the ball over the line in a tangle of bodies.
Clontarf may disagree that there was any flattery involved, but they must have been concerned about how their opponents remained so close throughout the match. That element made the contest all the more engaging for the 3,000 crowd who braved freezing conditions.
If Clontarf had landed even a few of their early kicks the comfort margin may have been greater, but full back Dave O'Brien failed to find his range from the first three kicks, a conversion effort and two penalties, before he landed his fourth and missed the fifth.
But Clontarf's start was so impressive that Carlow were swept into their own 22 for the first quarter and were rarely able to break their opponents' squeeze. It took more than 20 minutes for Clontarf to relax that stranglehold and allow to Carlow mount their first credible attack, by which time just an unconverted try separated the sides.
After five minutes Clontarf centre Alan Reddan knifed forward from the centre and found Daire Higgins wide. Mark Woods then came into the move with centre James Downey finally touching down in the right corner.
Although Clontarf proceeded to hold both position and territory, there was precious little on the board for their work. And when Carlow responded, they could easily have gained ground.
But the crash ball to Melville in favour of kicking their points wasn't working as Alan Dignam, Mike Walls, Declan Quinn, Gissing and Bobby Baggott landed crunching tackles to remind Carlow that they would compete with them on any forum.
Also, Carlow lacked any cutting second phase. Too often when Melville was grounded the ball was turned or knocked back. They simply got nothing from an intensive phase of attacks from five metres out.
An O'Brien penalty took Clontarf to 8-0 at the break, and throughout the second half Carlow waited for something to ignite but it never came. Territorial gains arrived in spades, often because of some shabby clearances by the Clontarf defence, but left wing Ian Dwyer saw little good ball and Mark Buckley on the other flank even less.
A Billy Murphy penalty on 56 minutes took the depressing look off the scoreboard for 8-3, before replacement outhalf Paul Ryan took charge of the Clontarf kicking and restored the eight point gap for 11-3.
At the end Clontarf's defence on their line was their strength and that should continue to keep them feared opponents in the league.
SCORING SEQUENCE: 4 mins: J Downey try 5-0; 31: D O'Brien pen 8-0. Half-time. 56: B Murphy 8-3; 77: P Ryan pen 11-3; 85: A Clarke try, Ryan con 18-3.
CLONTARF: D O'Brien; D Higgins, A Reddan, J Downey, O Winchester; M Woods, M Walls; W O'Kelly, M Kennedy, A Clarke, D Sheehan (capt), A Wood, A Dignam, D Quinn, B Gissing. Replacements: P Ryan for Woods (56 mins); D Moore for Dignam (80 mins); T Foucher for Kennedy (81 mins). Yellow cards: Dignam (28 mins), Foucher (88 mins).
CARLOW: M Spiller; M Buckley, R Byrne, R Armstrong, I Dwyer; B Murphy, R Jones; P Brennan, C Gee, L Hannon, L O'Byrne, W Whitten, B Baggott, D Cox, A Melville (capt). Replacements: J Hannon for Gee (45 mins); M Waterhouse for Byrne (64 mins); A Treacy for Melville (78 mins); K Corrigan for L Hannon (81 mins).
Referee: T Redmond (Leinster)
