AN INTERESTING game and a very enjoyable second half in particular. Both teams played better against the wind. Clare faced it for the second half leading by just a point. They had lost the momentum well before the break and looked very vulnerable at half time.

But they never surrendered their lead and showed a lot of mental strength. I think that combination of team spirit and physical power was the main reason why they won. This is a young Cork team and they could not hope to match Clare's wealth of experience in tight championship games. They are obviously an improving team though and yesterday's match will have an important learning experience for them.

Clare started off very well and picked off their points with great economy. But they lost the impetus midway through the half and lapsed back into their had habits. Some of the shooting was very wayward.

Cork meanwhile had rearranged their forwards and brought Seanie McGrath out to right half forward. Seanie drifted off Anthony Daly and picked up a world of hall and started sending in beautiful low ball to the forwards. He showed some lovely touches.

Alan Browne and Joe Deane started coming into it and some of the Clare defenders looked uncomfortable at this stage. Things were going wrong for Clare. Jamesie's disallowed shot, for example, was a definite point. And Ger Cunningham at the other end pulled down two balls that looked to be going over his crossbar. Cork went down and scored a point after each save and you could actually see Cork lifting themselves and going at it hammer and tongs. Their backs really started to hurl with Brian Corcoran leading the way from centre half back. The halfback line overall however did not dominate enough and midfield was also very quiet so there were still weaknesses in their team.

Clare's full forward line was well shackled by the fullback line and things would have been a lot worse except for a powerful performance from Fergus Tuohy on the wing. Colin Lynch also worked extremely hard in midfield.

Clare must have got a rollicking at half time. I would imagine Ger said things that shook the guts out of them be cause they played better and better in the second half. Their superior fitness, plus their strength, started to tell and switching the Sparrow to full forward was a tremendous move. They played two full forwards and when the ball came in Sparrow was a yard in front of his man. He either put the ball over the bar or laid it off to somebody else. It was a vital contribution. He didn't keep stationary, he moved right and left and picked off points from both sides.

Loughnane in fact almost reshaped his full forward line completely but his switches paid off. David Forde did well in the corner and Stephen McNamara took his goal very well. There was a sub warming up at the time. I don't know if he was about to be taken off, but it was a tremendous shot. I felt that whoever got the goal would win it but by that stage the Cork forward had run out of steam.

They reverted to the normal formation, three half forwards and three full forwards, and the Clare defence found it easier to cope. There was less space, McGrath began to be closed down and Brian Lohan started to impose himself on the game. The halfbacks came on much stronger and Michael O'Halloran, who had looked a bit shakey, made two great blockdowns in a row on Joe Deane.

The problem for Cork yesterday was that Clare had been playing competitive first division matches since March which helps to make them sharp and resilient. Cork had been playing at a slower pace in the second division and that did them no favours.

I think Clare won yesterday playing reasonably well, but I would be more worried for them if they played brilliantly. That would suggest they were at a peak. Instead they are on a slope going upwards, and that is the best way to time a championship campaign.