Champions Clare turn on the style

Clare 2-28 UCC 1-4

All-Ireland champions Clare strolled to a facile victory over outclassed UCC at Sixmilebridge.

They defeated the students by 27 points and in doing so, reached a third successive decider in the competition setting themselves up to deliver a two-in-a-row.

In a one-sided affair, Davy Fitzgerald’s charges managed to lead by 1-10 to 1-3 at the break and when they opened their shoulders in the second-half they ran riot and kept UCC to just one second period score, a pointed free by Limerick man Jack Ahern, in the 49th minute.

From the off Clare were in command and lead by 1-7 to no score by the 17th minute. Top scorer Colin Ryan picked off the goal from a penalty in the 13th after Clare corner-forward David Reidy was fouled in possession.

The Cork based students finally got off the mark with a point from a James Barry ‘65’ in the 18th minute and a goal by Patrick Deasy in the 25th gave them a glimmer of hope.

But Clare's second-half performance brushed aside any hopes of a contest and a second Clare goal from Davy O'Halloran late in the game was no more than the All-Ireland title-holders deserved.
CLARE: P Kelly; S Morey, D McInerney, C Dillon (0-1); B Bugler, P Donnellan (0-2), P O'Connor; L Markham, P Duggan (0-1) ; J Conlon (0-3), C O'Connell (0-2) , C Ryan (1-12, 1-0 pen. seven frees); D O'Halloran (1-1), C McGrath (0-2) , D Reidy (0-1) . Subs: C McInerney (0-2) for McGrath (43), J Shanahan (0-1) for Duggan (43), C Cleary for O'Connor (51), P Flanagan for Morey (51), N O'Connell for Dillon (63).
UCC: D McCarthy (Cork); S Maher (Tipperary), D Glynn (Kilkenny), D Lestor (Cork); J Barry (0-1, '65'). (Tipperary), C Murphy (Cork), S Roche (Kilkenny); R O'Shea (Cork), D O'Mahony (Cork); T Butler (Tipperary), M Sugrue (Cork), B Hartnett (Cork); J Ahern (0-3, frees) (Limerick), P Deasy (1-0) (Cork). Subs: N Purcell (Clare) for Barry, S O'Donnell (Clare) for O'Shea, M O'Driscoll (Cork) for Maher (all half-time), A Goold (Cork) for Glynn (48) PJ Hall (Limerick) for McCarthy (53).
Referee: M Wadding (Waterford)