All-Ireland champions Corofin successfully negotiated a further year's lease on the first of their three titles in yesterday's Galway final in Tuam.

Michael Kenny's goal early in the second half was the critical difference between the teams as challengers An Ceathru Rua failed to meet the expectations generated by a hitherto impressive championship campaign.

Although this was the champions' fifth county title this decade, it was the club's first time to put championships back to back. Nonetheless there was a muted atmosphere among the 6,000 crowd after the match as Martin McNamara added to his fine year by being presented with the Frank Fox Cup.

After a season in which their performances have been at times perfunctory, this was a solid rather than inspired display by Corofin but they showed greater urgency and desire than their opponents who were chasing a second title in three years.

Apart from the first quarter when they played with purpose and opened up a four-point lead, An Ceathru Rua never recaptured the attacking form that had been expected of them. They looked strangely nervous and lacking in conviction, particularly as the wides total mounted in the first half during which they had the benefit of a strong wind.

Nine wides were recorded in the first half and such wastage seemed damaging at half-time as they faced the elements on only even terms, 0-6 to 0-6. Yet Corofin were to replicate this inaccuracy in the second half to end up with 12 wides of their own.

The failure to take scoring chances seemed to drain An Ceathru Rua's confidence and once Corofin asserted themselves in the second half, the Gaeltacht club never looked like turning the match around.

The champions' defence deserves great credit for maintaining a tight grip on their opponents' attempts to regain the initiative. Disciplined marking and unwavering concentration meant that

An Ceathru Rua's attacks came to nothing as Corofin blocked numerous shots and surrounded their opponents in a hermetically sealed rearguard action with wing backs James Lardner and Aidan Fahy, in particular, hard-working and effective.

Fahy also kicked an important point in the 50th minute just as An Ceathru Rua looked to be recovering from a four-point deficit and had cut the arrears in half.

The match started with Corofin making elaborate adjustments to their attack with only left wing forward Michael Kenny lining out in his selected position. An Ceathru Rua started brightly with points from Iarflaith O Se, Sean de Paor, Micheal O Lorcain and Peadar O Se before Galway midfielder Sean O Domhnaill produced one of his now customary points from 50 metres.

Peadar Jude O Conghaile stretched the lead to four points, 0-6 to 0-2, with a free in the 15th minute but the momentum slowly left the challengers.

Corofin's gradual emergence was evident in a let-off for An Ceathru Rua in the 23rd minute as Dara O Flatharta scrambled the ball off the line after Derek Reilly had punched an invitingly teed-up pass from Trevor Burke for what looked a certain goal.

This miss didn't deter Corofin and by half-time they had survived a howler of a wide from a Derek Reilly free and a narrow squeak at their own end when the ball ran unkindly for Anthony Finnerty, to level the match.

The goal came four minutes after the restart when Eddie Steede's shot came back off the post and Kenny was on hand to net the rebound. A minute later, Steede added a point and Corofin should have been pulling away.

That they didn't was the result of their poor finishing. With An Ceathru Rua's best efforts failing to penetrate Corofin's defence and the campaign's outstanding personality, Kevin Terry Mac Donncha, unable to improve supply when moved to centrefield, the people who were most evidently worrying about the outcome were the champions' selectors who lost patience with their attack and substituted Reilly and Steede.

Scoring concluded with a fine, pointed line-ball by Aidan Donnellan to give Corofin a fourpoint margin. Donnellan himself had to go to hospital before the end after sustaining an arm injury but that was the extent of the bad news for Corofin.

COROFIN: M McNamara (capt); O Burke, B Silke, John Lardner; A Fahy (0-1), R Silke, Jason Lardner; A Donnellan (0-1, a sideline), J Killeen; M Donnellan (0-2), T Burke (0-1), M Kenny (1-0); E Steede (0-1), D Reilly (0-3, all frees), S Conlisk. Subs: Kieran Comer for Reilly (53 mins), K Treacy for Steede (54 mins), D Comer for Killeen (59 mins).

AN CEATHRU RUA: P Comer; D O Flaharta, P Mac Donncha, A O Se; P S O Conghaile, C Mac Donncha (capt), M O Domhnaill; I O Se (0- 1), S O Domhnaill (0-1); M O Lorcain (0-1), S Og de Paor (0-1), M O Conghaile; A Finnerty, P O Se (0-1), P O Conghaile (0-3, two frees). Subs: S O Neachtain for P S O Conghaile (46 mins), G O Conghaile for Finnerty (54 mins),; P O Lorcain for P O Se (62 mins).

Referee: M Curley (Renmore-Mervue).