Clare are Munster U21 hurling champions for the third successive season after an emphatic 1-28 to 1-13 victory over Cork at Ennis.

Inspired by Man of the Match Colm Galvin, the Banner County controlled the match from start to finish and underlined their unquestionable credentials as potential three-in-a-row All-Ireland winners.

The atmosphere prior to throw-in was electric and the hosts rose to the occasion by delivering an outstanding team performance in easing to a historic third consecutive provincial crown - and fourth in six years.

Gerry O'Connor's charges were in no mood for hanging around and they delivered a confident first-half showing to lead comfortably at the interval: 1-15 to 0-5.

Twenty-thirteen All-Ireland SHC final Man of the Match Shane O'Donnell demonstrated that he has lost none of his goal-poaching prowess as he glided through the Cork defence to nonchalantly plant the ball in the left corner of the net in the 22nd minute. Bobby Duggan, meanwhile, exhibited uncanny accuracy as he notched nine first-half points.

As soon as the action for under way, Clare went straight into the attack and full forward Aaron Cunningham rounded his man to pop over the opening point from an acute angle after just twelve seconds. Two minutes later, reigning Hurler of the Year Tony Kelly - lining out on the 40 tonight - tidily scooped up the sliothar and fired it over the bar off his left to double the gap.

There were wides at either end before Clare captain Kelly registered his second point and Cork goalkeeper Patrick Collins was in the right place to deny Cunningham a goal in the fifth minute. Bobby Duggan slotted the resultant '65' to make it 0-4 to no score after six minutes.

A Rob O'Shea free opened the Rebels' account in the ninth minute but the respite was short-lived as the defending Munster and All-Ireland champions replied with points from Peter and Bobby Duggan (2) to lead by seven to one at the midway stage in the first half.

By the time O'Shea clipped over a brace of points for the challengers in the 28th minute, the gap had risen to twelve points, 1-13 to 0-4. Shane O'Donnell, making his first start of the campaign, bagged the major in the 22nd minute (yet another three-pointer for him against the Rebels!) and there were points from Cunningham, Bobby Duggan (4) and Colm Galvin. Substitute Mark Sugrue had landed the Leesiders' second point.

Michael Collins supplied the visitors' fifth point in the 30th minute but that score was bookended by two more points from Bobby Duggan - a free from the left sideline and a lovely strike from play - as the holders carried an unassailable thirteen-point cushion into the break.

Collins pointed for purposeful Cork within 20 seconds of the resumption but Peter Duggan instantly drilled over a delightful reply straight through the middle of the posts from the centre of Cusack Park. O'Shea and Bobby Duggan traded frees.

O'Shea hit a brilliant score from play either side of Clare points from David Reidy and Cunningham and Reidy's second score of the match increased the gap to 15 points seven minutes into the second half.

Pat Kenneally's men kept going and Killian McIntyre raided forward to provide their ninth score; Anthony Spillane toe-poked the ball to the back of the net after a frantic goalmouth scramble in the 42nd minute to reduce the arrears to eleven points.

Kelly ('65') and fellow All Star Galvin steadied the runaway winners with a couple of quickfire scores and O'Shea replied by converting a Cork '65'. A Shane O'Keeffe point in the 47th minute barely raised a cheer as this match was long since over as a meaningful contest.

Galvin had been pulling the strings throughout and it was hardly a surprise when he tapped over his third point ten minutes from time. A minute later, the gap was up to 13 again when Cunningham roamed out from the goals and dropped his shot over the bar - 1-24 to 1-11.

When O'Shea popped over another Cork free, the victors replied with a flurry of points - from Reidy and substitutes Cathal O'Connell and Shane Gleeson (2) - and Cork's Collins had the honour of closing the scoring as the Rebels' campaign came to an end.

But we'll be hearing a lot more from this Clare team! Antrim will provide their All-Ireland semi-final opposition next month.

Clare - K Hogan; J Colleran, J Browne, S Morey; G O'Connell, C Cleary, J Shanahan; C Galvin (0-3), E Enright; B Duggan (0-10, 6f, 1'65), T Kelly (0-3, 1'65), P Duggan (0-2); S O'Donnell (1-0), A Cunningham (0-4), D Reidy (0-3). Subs: S Gleeson (0-2) for B Duggan, C O'Connell (0-1f) for S O'Donnell, A O'Neill for C Cleary, S McGrath for E Enright, B Carey for J Colleran.

Cork - P Collins; S Murphy, C Barry, C Buckley; K Kavanagh, K Burke, D Brosnan; C Walsh, R Cahalane; S O'Keefe (0-1), C Spillane, M Collins (0-3); A Spillane (1-0), A Cadogan, R O'Shea (0-7, 4f, 1'65). Subs: M Sugrue (0-1) for C Walsh, K McIntyre (0-1) for R Cahalane, M O'Connor for A Spillane.

Referee - F Horgan. Tweet

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