The result did owe much to two sin-binnings for the visitors as left winger Noel Hehir and loosehead prop Ciaran Kavanagh received yellow cards in either half for ruck offences.

Fly-half Warren Edwards kept 'Stones ticking with a couple of penalties before Wicklow flyer Dave McKechnie burst through for a two-try blitz in the second half.

First the full-back ran 60 metres to claim his first and then on the hour mark, he grabbed a second, evading the right wing challenges of Daire Higgins and Joe Walsh to score.

Flanker Rob Connolly gobbled up the ground late on to score incredibly his sixteenth try of a 17-game season in what was a record-breaking game itself for 'Stones - their 192nd AIL fixture.

Clonakilty, who bravely went down 25-15 in last weekend's Division 2 relegation/promotion play-off at Barnhall, thought their luck was in at Shannonvale as Derek Dillon and David Cookson grabbed early tries.

Scrum-half Cookson's effort on the half-hour tallied up a 14-0 lead for the home side but Inst spoiled the party as they came back for a 16-14 verdict.

Instonians, whose travelling support had dubbed their trip south 'Black Pudding Or Bust', kept in the hunt through a Sean Flynn penalty before the break.

With their last AIL trophy the Division Two title back in 1994, Inst made use of some slack Clon defending in the second half as wingers Mike McKeever and Gareth McClintock had too much gas for the home cover.

Flynn sandwiched a crucial 30-metre penalty in between those scores to send the visitors through.

The winners of tomorrow's Division two semi-final between promoted side UL Bohemians and Dolphin will face St Mary's at 2.00pm next Saturday.

The Dubliners - relegated from Division One last year - gained a walkover win against UCC after the Cork students failed to field a team at Templeville Road.