Title holders Laune Rangers surrendered their Munster club football title at windswept Castlehaven yesterday when they were soundly trounced by the home team in this postponed semi-final.

From start to finish this game was all about Castlehaven, who produced a five-star display to rout their opponents. They have a teak-tough defence and were masterly at midfield, where veteran Niall Cahalane had a superb game. In addition, their slick, well-drilled forward line ran the losers' defence ragged.

Rangers simply had no answer to the play of men like Cahalane, Larry Tompkins, full forward Colin Crowley, and John Cleary in the left corner of the attack. It was Cleary who set Castlehaven on the high road to victory when he hammered a great penalty shot to the roof of the net after nine minutes. Thereafter, the Cork champions were in complete control, and they led at half-time by 2-6 to 0-3.The winners' second goal was also scored by Cleary: he sent in a probing shot seven minutes before the interval which Rangers goalkeeper Peter Lyons caught under the crossbar - but he was adjudged by the umpire to have stepped over the goal line.

Rangers's fading chances of staying in the game received a further body blow when they lost centre forward Timmy Fleming with a leg injury and he was replaced at half-time by Pierce Prenderville, who came in at midfield.

But the champions were unable to stem the tide and Castlehaven proceeded to impose their dominance still further during the second half. The old firm of Cahalane and Tompkins combined to bore holes in the Rangers back line.

The pair moved the ball about with consummate ease and with some fine back-up play from Brian Collins, Alan Crowley, Fra Cahalane, Colin Crowley and John Cleary the game was over as a contest long before the finish.

A goal by substitute Brian Gannon for the losers in the 59th minute - their only score of the half - mattered not at all.

Castlehaven: M Maguire; K O'Donovan, D Cleary, D McCarthy; D Cahalane, B Collins, M O'Brien; A Crowley (0-1), N Cahalane; J Maguire (0-1), L Tompkins (0-4), F Cahalane (0-1); M O'Mahony, C Crowley (0-1), J Cleary (2-2).

Laune Rangers: P Lyons; A Hassett, J Sheehan, M O'Connor; P Sheahan, M Hassett, S O'Sullivan; T Byrne, C Kearney; P Griffin, T Fleming, J O'Shea; P O'Sullivan (0-2), G Murphy (0- 1), M F Russell. Subs: P Prenderville for Fleming; B Gannon (1-0) for J O'Shea; J Lynch for P Sheahan.

Referee: K Walsh (Clare).