Bantry Blues swept to their second Cork county senior football championship in three years with a glorious victory over Duhallow in front of a crowd of over 14,000 at Park Ui Chaoimh yesterday.

There was no disputing the merit of Bantry's success as they forced Duhallow to play catch-up football for most of the game after the Blues built on a blistering start.

Even the treacherous under foot conditions couldn't slow the speedy Bantry forwards who revelled in the fast moving ball from midfielders Damien O'Neill and Michael Moran as they regularly opened up the Duhallow defence with intelligent running and accurate passing.

Credit Duhallow, however, for never dropping their head and they threatened an upset when John Paul O'Neill grabbed his second goal after 41 minutes which triggered the most exciting spell of the game.

O'Neill reacted quickest to a fine double save by Bantry goalkeeper, Des McAuley to score and a couple of points from the dangerous Mark O'Sullivan left just a point between the sides 0-12 to 2-5 with 15 minutes left.

But when the need was greatest Bantry responded in the true style of champions cutting Duhallow's resistance with a string of crucial points. Impressive approach play led to Philip Clifford pointing twice from frees and although Donagh Buckley added a Duhallow point four minutes from the end the last scores went Bantry's way.

Andy and Declan O'Shea eased west Cork nerves before O'Neill crowned a memorable afternoon by claiming the last point following a superb run and shot which signalled the end of a super campaign for the Blues.

Such an eventuality always looked likely from the start as they raced in front by 0-5 to 0-1 after the opening quarter with Clifford, Declan O'Shea and Paul O'Rourke prominent. Dulhallow gave themselves a lifeline with a 17th minute goal, O'Sullivan setting up O'Neill to offer his side hope only for Bantry to come storming back with three unanswered points for a 0-8 to 1-1 interval lead.

Duhallow needed a good start to the second half but it was Bantry who again took up the running. Clifford knocked over a couple of points with O'Neill sandwiching one in between and the game looked over as a contest. Danny Culloty became more of an influence at midfield and Duhallow slowly clawed their way back. O'Neill's second goal was the peak of their efforts, however, as Bantry refused to panic and got back on course for a most deserving triumph.

Bantry Blues: D McAuley; N Toomey, M O'Connor, E McCarthy, G Canty, P O'Regan, E Sheehan, D O'Neill 0-2, M Moran 0-1; S McCar- thy 0-1, S Dineen, P O'Rourke 0-2; P Clifford 0- 6, J Canty, D O'Shea 0-4. Sub: A O'Shea 0-1 for S McCarthy.

Duhallow: J O'Leary; D Moynihan, J Walsh, D Riordan; S Walsh, M Angland, A Keane; D Culloty, P Murphy; D O'Sullivan, J P O'Neill 2-1, J Buckley; D Buckley 0-1, M O'Sullivan 0-4, A O'Sullivan. Subs: D O'Brien for Keane and D O'Connor for Murphy.

Referee: J Cummins (Cork)