Clare football champions Doonbeg made history at the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick yesterday by becoming the first club from the county to win the provincial club title. Two weeks after St Joseph's Doora-Barefield won the hurling championship, the result makes Clare only the second county in the province to achieve a club double.

Winning coach Pat Hanrahan's conviction - expressed after Doonbeg drew the AIB Munster final last week with a last-gasp goal - that his club's name was on the cup proved correct as the team coped with the 14th minute dismissal of Brendan Lynch for a reckless foul on Jimmy Dunne.

Better tactical appreciation and a greater sense of urgency marked the winners' success on a cold, muddy pitch before a good crowd of 5,593.

Moyle Rovers were hugely disappointing. Their footballing superiority in the drawn match seemed to give them every chance of going one better yesterday, but inaccuracy and generally poor use of the ball undermined their efforts.

Unlike last week, Doonbeg demonstrated greater economy with the chances which came their way and benefitted from influential performances in key sectors from a few players.

Padraig Conway reprised his role of a week previously by dropping back from the half-forward line and playing just in front of Declan Browne, a tactic designed to squeeze the supply to the young Tipperary All Star.

Conway's performance earned him man-of-the-match status in the eyes of most, but it went beyond merely curbing the potential of Browne. In general play, he was alert and available as Moyle launched an almost monotonous series of short-ball attacks in both halves.

Quick to breaking ball and intelligent in his use of it, Conway stood out even in the context of a fine overall team performance.

Up front, Francis McInerney - scorer of last week's vital equaliser - was the major player in Doonbeg's post-interval burst of scores which opened a gap Moyle were unable to close after going in on level terms 0-2 to 0-2.

McInerney busied himself orchestrating the attacks, gathering ball and spreading it around. One stamina-draining solo down the sideline resulted in a point for Kieran Nugent and he was fouled for a free, converted by Brian Shanahan who himself played a significant role.

As McInerney's contribution faded out in the third quarter, it was the full forward who provided the target for his team-mates. Winning possession and holding it up well, he set up Nugent for the team's sixth score in the 44th minute and pointed the last score of the afternoon in the 53rd.

The Tipperary champions came into the match with a particular gameplan based on the likely deployment of Padraig Conway. Unfortunately for them, they stuck to it too rigidly. The tactic involved working the ball short up the pitch and trying to draw out Conway from his supervisory role at the back.

Instead Moyle simply ran into trouble on a regular basis and as their attacks broke down, it was their opponents who were quickest to the ball. When they attempted to vary the approach by letting the ball go a bit more quickly, the inaccuracy of many of the kicks made matters worse.

Content to lie back and hit on the counter, particularly after the sending-off of Lynch, Doonbeg conceded control of the middle third of the pitch - but little else. Derry Foley and Jimmy Dunne won a good deal of ball but in the absence of quick transfer, Doonbeg were well able to regroup.

In the midst of all these strategic considerations the vital point for Moyle was that Declan Browne wasn't getting enough ball. In the first half, they continually attacked up the frozen, right wing of the pitch - guarded from the sun by the Mackey Stand - with Browne isolated on the left. At one stage he had to harness the huskies and venture over to the tundra in search of possession.

Even then, his marksmanship wasn't at its best. Four wides accompanied two points from play, but he did look menacing every time he was given the ball.

Although Moyle remained within a goal of their opponents, the attempts to secure the score smacked increasingly of desperation and by the end, Doonbeg were deserving champions.

Doonbeg: N Dillon; P Gallagher (capt.), C Whelan, D Griffin; D Conway, K Burns, P Smith; K Nugent (0-2), S Hehir; G Killeen (0-1), F McInerney, P Conway; P Hehir (0-2, one free), B Shanahan (0-2, one free), B Lynch.

Moyle Rovers: S Delahunty; J McGrath, L Cronin (capt), K O'Connor; N Wall, M McGrath, R Boland; Derry Foley, J Dunne; T Lane, P Boland, G Hughes; J Shanahan (0-1), Donal Foley, D Browne (0-2). Subs: J Wil- liams (0-1) for Hughes (half-time); P Foley for P Boland (60 mins).

Referee: A Mangan (Kerry).