JOB done, executed with minimal fuss yet plentiful margin for error, and thoughts already turning to Newtownshandrum in the New Year. Only then, you sense, will the really hard questions be asked of Ballyhale Shamrocks' All-Ireland credentials.

The four-in-a-row Kilkenny champions retained their AIB Leinster club hurling crown, their third such title in four attempts, at O'Connor Park yesterday. That much you expected. They won in a relative cruise, by 1-16 to 1-8 ... that much you expected too.

Tullamore were brave, battling but ultimately out of their depth against one of the three surviving heavyweight contenders for the Tommy Moore Cup.

Only in the last 10 minutes, when Shane Dooley shot high and handsomely to the net, and then Francie Kerrigan skewed another goal chance wide, did we witness a pretence of panic in the Ballyhale rearguard.

For all that, there is obvious scope for improvement if Shamrocks are to repeat their last All-Ireland coronation of 2007.

Chances are, they will require a greater level of precision -- they shot 15 wides here -- when faced by the flying O'Connor twins from Newtown next February.

Mountain

Even if they should climb that mountain, Everest will doubtless then await -- namely the Portumna side that blitzed a creaking Ballyhale defence last February.

So then, plenty to celebrate for the Kilkenny men. And plenty to ponder too. "You have to make the most of these opportunities," mused joint-manager James McGarry. "They're a good bunch of players but they're in the same position as they were this time last year -- so if they want to make progress, they're going to have to push on again.

"We all know what Newtown are like," added the former Kilkenny keeper. "They'll probably play the running game which will be a serious test of our lads."

James 'Cha' Fitzpatrick preached a similar 'lots done, more to do' mantra. He reckons they have stepped up their performance in recent games but qualifies that by saying: "It's a huge, huge battle (against Newtownshandrum). We know ourselves we've a lot of improvement to do, but it's a game we're really looking forward to -- it would be great for us to be playing in Croke Park on St Patrick's Day."

For Fitzpatrick, this was a sweet end to another trophy-laden year punctuated by illness (the mumps), injury (a broken hand), and loss (of his regular Kilkenny place). "I struggled to find form," he admitted, "but I suppose it's good to go back to the club and find a bit of form, and it's great to be on top of Leinster again."

Ballyhale's very best was never quite needed amid the swirling winds but thankfully dry skies over Tullamore. The pitch looked in reasonable fettle but was still soft underfoot and particularly dead around the goalmouths, making you wonder why such important finals are played in the depths of an Irish monsoon winter.

Even here, though, the gulf in class was evident. Ballyhale found it easier to raise and strike in one fluid movement whereas Tullamore were far more laboured.

As player-boss Kevin Martin ruefully noted: "I don't know how many times our lads put the ball on the hurl and went to go on a solo, and next thing it was tipped off (the hurl). But that's Kilkenny hurling all over."

Likewise when it came to the creation of chances. Ballyhale's ability to engineer space via a clever pass was at the root of several scores.

TECHNIQUE

In the first half, TJ Reid was on his knees but still had the wit and technique to pick out Henry Shefflin in space: cue the inevitable point.

Then in the second half, back-to-back points from the influential Michael Fennelly and Eoin Reid could be traced back to visionary reverse passes from David Hoyne.

The latter score stretched the margin to a chasm-like 1-15 to 0-6 after 46 minutes, the contest all over. Cynics might suggest it was already heading that way at half-time, with Shamrocks ahead by 1-8 to 0-5, the goal coming in the 28th minute following an act of razor-sharp pilfery by Patrick Reid.

Here was a case of Cat robbing the Fox -- Tullamore's 48-year-old netminder, Damian Fox, had gathered Bob Aylward's delivery in his square but in attempting to clear, he was dispossessed in a flash and the ball was in the net.

Piledriver

"Damian made a bit of a mistake and his head was down when he came in," revealed Martin. "But he's after being brilliant all year and you couldn't blame him really."

With good reason. Fox made three fine saves, and two of the highest order: to deny Patrick Reid and his brother TJ, knocking the latter's piledriver onto an upright.

Six adrift at the midpoint, Tullamore required a supersonic restart. Instead, Ballyhale rattled off five unanswered points inside seven minutes.

"I think we just lacked a small bit of belief," reckoned Martin, the former All Star wing-back turned target man. "We had chances, a lot of high ball came in on top of me, but nothing came off it."

Adhesive full-back Aidan Cummins can take some of the credit for this, although Martin did go close with one first-half flick and then broke the ball for Kerrigan's late opening.

When Ballyhale go through the forensics of this latest Leinster success, emulating Birr's record of seven, they will spy a mixed bag.

Their half-back line was dominant under the Tullamore puckout. Fitzpatrick and Fennelly edged the midfield battle, with the latter especially prominent. Up front, all six had scored by half-time and the team tallied an impressive 1-12 from open play.

Yet those 15 wides constitute a black mark and even King Henry revealed feet of clay: Shefflin shot six points, two from play, but also five wides (and Offaly pedants would claim six, as his eighth minute score looked marginally wide from the press box).

Still, as the losing manager concluded by way of warning to Newtownshandrum: "If Ballyhale turn it on they have the best forward line in the country."

- Frank Roche