Clare 0-19 Kilkenny 2-20

Kilkenny won their 27th Guinness All Ireland hurling title with an emphatic win over Clare at Croke Park on Sunday.

The legendary DJ Carey scored a goal in the third minute to give Brian Cody's Cats a lead they never surrendered.

Kilkenny were six points ahead at half-time and, although Clare narrowed the deficit to just three early in the second period, they could not mount a telling revival.

Carey's early goal came after a good run and pass from Henry Shefflin.

The centre-forward did well to beat Sean McMahon and when he played the ball into the danger area, comeback king Carey applied the finishing touch.

Killed off

It was the start Clare had dreaded and the Banner county's sluggish start was punished further as Shefflin and Mark Comerford pointed before McMahon landed Clare's first point.

Clare were playing catch-up throughout the game.

But the contest was killed off when Shefflin deftly flicked in Kilkenny's second goal on 63 minutes.

Things would have been worse for Clare but for a brilliant save by keeper Davy Fitzgerald in the first half.

He managed to deflect a powerful shot from Shefflin over the bar for a point when a goal looked likely.

But Fitzgerald always looked like finishing on the losing side as the Leinster champions deservedly lifted the Liam McCarthy Cup.

Manager thrilled

Shefflin ended up with a tally of one goal and seven points while Carey contributed a goal and six.

McMahon landed six of Kilkenny's points.

Manager Cody was thrilled to be taking the cup back to the Marble City.

"This means everything to us," said Cody.

"We got a fabulous cushion through DJ's goal.

"But that was important because we were put under pressure at the start of the second half.

"We held on and started to hurl again. This team has lots of character."