Talent alone won't ensure success in team golf. So it was that the expertise of specialist Ken Kearney became a crucial factor in Galway's victory in the Bulmers Barton Shield at Royal Portrush yesterday. It was the third triumph by the Westerners who had previous successes in 1957 and 1972.

"I brought all the trade secrets with me," said Kearney with a quiet smile, after his side had gained an overall victory by four holes. He was referring to his move to Galway GC last winter after three Barton Shield successes with Co Sligo, where he also shared in two Senior Cup victories.

"There is a way of winning these events," he went on. "If it could be done with talent alone, teams like Portmarnock would win every year. I learned how it was done during my years at Rosses Point and I was happy to impart that knowledge to my new colleagues."

Ironically, the winning effort in the final came from the top Galway pairing of Stephen Keenan and David Cunningham, who were six up against the largely inexperienced Andrew Francis and Eamon Hughes, when the match was called in on the 17th. In the second match, Kearney and boy international Mark O'Sullivan lost by two holes to Chris Brown and Garth McGimpsey, who were three-under-par for the 16 holes they played.

Indeed Keenan and Cunningham had a crushing, eight holes win over Youghal's Tommy Kenefick and John White in the morning semi-finals. Meanwhile, McGimpsey and Brown were similarly impressive in a victory over Elm Park, in which they halved the 14th in birdie and then won the 15th in birdie, on the way to a four holes margin.

But how did Kearney help Galway's preparation? "Mainly it had to do with small things," he replied. "Like getting here last Sunday and having a few drinks that night before we got down to business. And I emphasised the importance of the players practising together and of encouraging the youngsters."

The plan for the final was that Kearney and O'Sullivan would try and hold the line in the second match while Keenan and Cunningham built up a winning lead. It worked perfectly, due in no small part to the skill and determination of 32-year-old Keenan, who captured the South of Ireland title 10 years ago. Interestingly, that win came a few weeks after he had lost in the semi-finals of the North here at Portrush to Neil Anderson.

A three-year flirtation with professional ranks - "I followed the lead of peers like Darren Clarke and Paul McGinley" - meant that Keenan didn't regain his amateur status until early in 1996. But there was no rust in evidence as he and Cunningham took command of the match by winning the 10th to go two up. From there, they went on to take five of the last eight holes in par figures.

Even in benign conditions, birdies were especially difficult to come by for the higher handicap players off the medal tees, and for Junior Cup competitors obliged to play off the back tees. All of which reflected the sense of moving the Bruen Shield players forward to the medal tees for today's semifinals.

Warrenpoint edged closer to the only national pennant which has eluded them, by beating Arklow 41 in the semi-finals. It was a particularly notable occasion for 18year-old Barrie Trainor, who secured a crucial point at number four in the order, beating Ray Murphy by 3 and 1.

Trainor's father, Pat, was a member of the Warrenpoint team which captured the Senior Cup at Westport in 1990. He later turned professional and currently runs a driving range at Burren, Co Down, where he has coached his son to a present, six-handicap standard.

Young Barrie hit a glorious nine-iron second shot to two feet for a winning birdie at the eighth to go four up. But he lost the next three to pars and was eventually brought level when Murphy made a remarkable up-and-down for a winning par at the notorious short 14th, sinking an eight-foot putt.

Then Trainor recovered to sink a five-footer for a winning par at the next and effectively secured victory by hitting a three-wood second shot to the heart of the green at the 428-yard 16th. As it happened, Trainor's point gave Warrenpoint a winning lead as a result of remarkable happenings at the top of the order.

In the opening match, Warrenpoint's Fergal McConaghy won on the 18th where his opponent, Jimmy Gilbert, had the misfortune to four-putt from 50 feet. Then Brian Powell, whose father Larry won an All-Ireland Gaelic football medal with Down in 1968, holed from 12 feet for a winning birdie on the 18th to force a half with Trevor O'Sullivan.

Douglas survived a dispiriting start in the other semi-final against Galway in which they lost the opening two matches. In the event, the critical point was secured at number four where Tom Collins reached the heart of the green with a six-iron second shot and got down in two putts for a winning par.

Warrenpoint also won through to the final of the Pierce Purcell Shield in which they meet newcomers Galway Bay. And to quash any suggestions of another socalled dream team emerging from the western city, one of their members insisted modestly: "All we've won so far is an egg-and-spoon race."

They may expect to be somewhat more successful than that, however, if the determination of yesterday's matches is repeated in today's final.