The sides will meet again on October 8 at a venue to be decided after Naomh Mearnog forward Taylor held her nerve to point a late 45-yard free. She had missed one from the same distance just seconds earlier.

The Dubs, who dropped down to junior level two years ago, began the brighter and led 1-04 to 1-02 at half-time. Early Ciara Lucey, Ciara Durkan and Louise O'Hara points were added to by O'Hara's 15th-minute goal, set up by a strong run from teenager Durkan.

Notoriously slow starters, Clare came back into it thanks to a fortunate goal, eight minutes later. Captain Deirdre Murphy stroked a 60-metre free to the Dublin net as the glaring sun prevented 'keeper Emer Butler from stopping the dropping ball.

Murphy added two injury-time points from frees to shore up the difference to two, and the Banner's lynchpin midfielder cracked over the opening point of the second half.

Durkan and Aine Fanning replied for a 1-06 to 1-03 Dublin lead but four points without reply from Murphy, Denis Lynch and Claire McMahon (2 frees) looked like handing Clare the title.

Taylor, on for corner forward Joyce Donnelly, had the final say however.

DUBLIN: E Butler; S Hanks, A McCluskey, A Cullen; A Fitzpatrick, S Cunnane, C Power; C Lucey, A Fanning; E Butler, G Mc Cluskey, C Durkan; J Donnelly, L O'Hara, E Lucey.

CLARE: R Lynch; J Scanlan, D Corcoran, C McMahon; E Keating, C Halley, E Minogue; M McMahon, D Murphy; L Linnane, A O'Brien, F Lafferty; Claire McMahon, C O'Loughlin, C Commane.

Referee: Una Kearney (Armagh)