Seamus Power combined his class and confidence to optimum effect yesterday to successfully defend his National Inter-club Cross Country title. Over a demanding 12km course in Scotstown, the Clareman made the decisive break approaching the last of the five laps to finish six seconds ahead of Dublin's Peter Matthews.

It was Power's third title but probably not the most comfortable. Matthews had opened a slight lead midway through the race and while he quickly covered that, Power then took a brief tumble on the penultimate lap. Soon after that, however, he hit the front and held the narrow advantage until the end, winning in 38 minutes 36 seconds.

With Matthews safe in second, the race for third became particularly interesting and it eventually fell to 22-yearold Vinnie Mulvey from Raheny (38:51). Noel Berkeley proved that he still has some life in his 36-yearold legs to take fourth, and that set Dundrum South-Dublin on their way to a deserved team title.

The women's title went to the in-form Rosemary Ryan of Limerick, who finished 10 seconds ahead of the ageless Anne Keenan-Buckley in 20:49. Third place went to Kerry's Maureen Harrington in 21:45 and Dundrum South-Dublin's Maria McCambridge in fourth led her club to a similar success in taking the team title.

There was a much closer finish to the junior women's race when Fionnula Britton of Kilcoole edged out Mary Cullen of North Sligo in 15:29. William Harty of West Waterford won the junior men's race from Pat Guidera from Clonmel in 26:46. Karen Shinkins once again broke her Irish indoor 400 metre record in the US at the weekend, clocking 52.31 seconds to knock more than four-tenths of a second off the time set earlier this month.