Munster SFC Semi-final/Cork 0-20 Clare 0-14: Cork's quest for a third successive All-Ireland ran remorselessly through Thurles yesterday. In the process it comfortably put out what fires Clare could light in the first of this year's Guinness Munster hurling semi-finals. It also cast a cold shadow on their opponents' optimism for the summer ahead.

Once again, Clare must scrap their way through the qualifiers in pursuit of further redemptive performances, whereas their conquerors can prepare for another Munster final, secure in the guarantee of an All-Ireland quarter-final place in two months' time.

That previous meeting of the teams did, however, provide the strongest context for this year's engagement. Where Cork had been vulnerable nine months ago they were comparatively untroubled yesterday, and with their campaign platform resting on such a narrow base, manager John Allen will be content that his team look as good as ever in their strongest departments and improved in others.

One of the most satisfying aspects was surely the renewed zest of Joe Deane at left corner forward. While he is rarely less than steady and reliable, yesterday the Killeagh forward was sharp and predatory, shooting nine points, including three from play. He gave Gerry O'Grady a fright of an afternoon until the Clare manager Anthony Daly made the necessary switch.

Moving craftily around, Deane was so much in control that he actually won two balls overhead and was a constant menace, blocking and flicking when his marker was in possession.

He might well have had a goal in the 12th minute but for a marvellous save from Davy Fitzgerald. Deane took one high ball off O'Grady and zipped through only for his shot to be parried. Fitzgerald was up quickly enough to stop Brian Corcoran following through.

John Allen was seen to have earned his managerial spurs last year when replacing Corcoran and Ronan Curran, as his team fell six points behind. This time out, Corcoran was again called in early but only because of injury and after a feisty display on Brian Lohan.

Curran was one of Cork's best players, his brio ably complemented by John Gardiner and Seán Ó hAilpín in the now familiarly formidable half back line. And after two early points during Clare's hottest spell, Tony Carmody was moved away from centre forward and his replacement, Diarmuid McMahon, thrived no better and was taken off for the final quarter.

Most disappointing for Clare was the lack of impact up front. Their big attack started terrifically well and they led 0-6 to 0-2 after 10 minutes, but over the following 40 minutes they were outscored 0-14 to 0-3, by which stage, not surprisingly, the match was over.

Despite their size and ability under a dropping ball, Clare's forwards were cleaned out by a Cork defence that, once they found their bearings, dominated the approaches to goal and conceded little possession.

In contrast to Clare, who looked at times nervous and even at odds with the ball, Cork were sharp and decisive and plundered their familiar way through the middle, using advantages of touch and pace to carve out openings and exploit them.

The teams started with the expected changes. Ben O'Connor was left off and his place went to Cian O'Connor, who coped reasonably well with the demands of being a converted defender.

For Clare it was David Hoey who didn't start; he was replaced by Fergal Lynch, with the expected chain reaction of Brian O'Connell dropping back to defence, Tony Griffin dropping to centrefield and Alan Markham moving up to full forward.

The only surprise was that Markham played such a conventional game at first rather than dropping deep. Nonetheless, his agility and pace threatened to disturb Diarmuid O'Sullivan except that Clare weren't able to exert enough territorial pressure to make it happen regularly.

A burst of confident scoring in the opening minutes suggested Clare were going to make this a very difficult first defence for the champions. Gilligan, Carmody and Barry Nugent swept over fine points as they established their high-water mark for the afternoon after 10 minutes.

Cork settled down and as they edged their way back into the match with well taken points (they were guilty of only four wides for the afternoon), Clare stopped posing a scoring threat. With their attack in eclipse, it was only a matter of time before they would be tracked down and ultimately beaten.

Already Cork were beginning to exploit their runners, and Tom Kenny and Jerry O'Connor ran a few excursions through the middle with scores following.

O'Connor added an impressive point from play to maintain his notable scoring contribution to the team.

By half-time the champions had turned the match around to lead by two, 0-10 to 0-8, and they maintained the momentum at the start of the second half by reeling off six unanswered points in the third quarter.

With the whole enterprise doomed and his team's proud ambitions now flapping in tatters, Daly decided to throw in a few new faces, and the impact was mildly encouraging with the qualifiers in mind.

Jonathan Clancy in particular showed some energy and purpose around the middle, and the final quarter was reasonably well contested, although Cork's efforts were hardly as urgent as previously.

Then again the winners might have had a couple of goals. Kenny opened up a route to goal for Timmy McCarthy but the latter dropped the pass and Neil Ronan (who had managed a point during an earlier appearance as a blood substitute) clipped a ball off the post.

The highlights of the closing exchanges were a couple of scintillating points by Deane and Clancy, both distinguished by clever positioning and great sweeping finishes from the right-hand touchline.

CORK: 1 D Cusack; 2 P Mulcahy (capt), 3 D O'Sullivan, 4 B Murphy; 5 J Gardiner, 6 R Curran (0-1), 7 S Ó hAilpín; 8 T Kenny (0-2), 9 J O'Connor (0-4, two frees); 10 T McCarthy, 11 N McCarthy (0-1), C O'Connor; 13 K Murphy, 14 B Corcoran (0-2), 15 J Deane (0-9, six frees). Subs: 23 N Ronan (0-1) for Corcoran (61 mins), 17 W Sherlock for Mulcahy (71 mins), 12 B O'Connor for K Murphy (65 mins).

CLARE: 1 D Fitzgerald; 2 G O'Grady, 3 B Lohan, 4 F Lohan; 8 B O'Connell, 6 S McMahon (capt), 7 G Quinn; 14 T Griffin, 9 C Lynch; 10 D McMahon, 12 T Carmody (0-3), 24 F Lynch; 13 B Nugent (0-2), 11 A Markham (0-1), 15 N Gilligan (0-6, all frees). Subs: 29 D Quinn for F Lynch (30 mins), 17 J Clancy (0-1) for Nugent (43 mins), 27 D O'Rourke for D McMahon (52 mins), 26 D O'Connell (0-1) for D Quinn (60 mins), 18 P Donnellan for C Lynch (61 mins).

Referee: B Kelly (Westmeath).

Tipperary full back Philip Maher is extremely doubtful for next weekend's Munster hurling semi-final against Waterford in Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

Maher was playing for his club Borrisoleigh against Nenagh Éire Óg on Saturday night when he sustained a knee injury. Maher has had knee trouble before and missed the 2003 championship because of a cruciate-ligament injury picked up during that year's NHL final.