Clara (Offaly) 1-12 St Laurence's (Kildare) 2-8:JOHN REYNOLDS was the hero as Clara repeated their county final heroics by overcoming an eight-point interval deficit to win in Newbridge.

Reynolds scored five points from play but crucially, kicked the last four for the Offaly champions. Most of those scores were right out of the top drawer with the injury-time winner certainly in that bracket. Clara had recovered from five points down at half-time in the Offaly decider to dethrone Rhode, but this was an even better effort, especially as St Laurence's had threatened to run riot in the opening period.

The Kildare men flew out of the traps, notching up two goals in the space of a minute to stun the visitors.

Clara held the upper hand for the remainder of the tie. The two-goal hero of the county final, Ross Brady, was very prominent in his more conventional position at midfield, alongside brother and team captain, Scott.

The youngest Brady sibling, Eoin, struck for a vital goal in the 43rd minute after receiving a pass from Reynolds to give the fightback momentum. Laurence's were treading water and a pointed free from Thomas Deehan and a brilliant score from Reynolds reduced the deficit to one.

Dessie Lawler finished neatly five minutes from time for the Saints' only second-half score but Reynolds was unstoppable by now.

CLARA: J Buckley; A Cronin, M Rosney, D Kelly; P Mitchell, M Mitchell, L Hiney; S Brady, R Brady (0-1); T Dalton, J O'Hara (0-1), C Kelly; E Brady (1-0), J Reynolds (0-5), T Deehan (0-5, frees). Subs: G Guilfoyle for C Kelly (23 mins); J Ledwith for Rosney (23); D Baggott for E Brady inj (54)

ST LAURENCE'S: S Connolly; S Murphy, N Clynch, C Roche; K O'Brien, T O'Neill (0-1), A Flood; P O'Neill, M Doyle; D Grufferty, B Mackey (0-2, frees), I Keatley; R Lawlor (1-2), J Fogarty (1-2), D Lawlor (0-1).

Subs: C Kane for P O'Neill (4 mins); P O'Neill for Grufferty (23 mins); S Fahey for R Lawlor (48 mins); Grufferty for Kane (55 mins).

Referee: D Fahey (Longford).