Nemo Rangers ... 1-9 Kilmurry-Ibrickane ... 0-8: Reigning Munster club football champions Nemo Rangers got off to a winning start in defence of their title when they defeated home-side and newly-crowned Clare champions Kilmurry-Ibrickane at Quilty yesterday.

The west Clare side proved stiffer opposition than many expected, but in the end could not cope with the experience and guile of Billy Morgan's charges.

Team manager Morgan's son Alan grabbed the only goal of the game eight and a half minutes into the second half to set up victory and then later on received his marching orders with a direct red card, for a wild kick on a Kilmurry defender.

Early on Rangers missed a golden opportunity when Colin Corkery blasted wide with the goal at his mercy, but by the half-time break the Cork side led by six points to four at the end of a keenly-fought and competitive first half.

Three Corkery free kicks, plus a point each from Morgan, Brian O'Regan and the impressive and hard-working Alan Cronin, were replied to by three Michael O'Dwyer frees and a good Johnny Daly point from play during that opening half.

Following the restart, Nemo added a further point from wing forward Liam O'Sullivan, before Morgan goaled early in the half to leave Kilmurry six points adrift.

But spurred on by a large and predictably partisan following, the home side fought back with three Odran O'Dwyer points in a brief period of Kilmurry dominance. But a long-range Corkery effort and a point by substitute John Paul O'Neill got the Corkmen back on track and in spite of the only four-point winning margin, Nemo ran out deserved winners.

NEMO RANGERS: D Heaphy; L Kavanagh, N Geary, Seán O'Brien; G Murphy, M Cronin, B O'Regan (0-1), K Cahill, D Kavanagh; L O'Sullivan (0-1), Steven O'Brien, A Cronin (0-1), W Morgan, C Corkery, (capt, 0-4, frees), A Morgan (1-1). Subs: M Daly for Steven O'Brien, JP O'Neill (0-1) for Cahill, S Marshall for L O'Sullivan.

KILMURRY-IBRICKANE: D O'Brien; T O'Doherty, J O'Connor, R O'Dwyer; M Keavey, D Coughlin, D Callinan; V Talty, P O'Dwyer; O O'Dwyer (0-4, 3fs), A Moloney jnr, M O'Connor; A Moloney snr (capt), M O'Dwyer (0-3), J Daly (0-1). Subs: M Hogan for Moloney jnr, E Talty for Callinan, E Coughlin for M O'Connor, M Cahill for O'Doherty, D Donnellan for Daly.

Referee: M A Ryan (Limerick).