A dramatic final stage in Sunday's Tipperary Sepam Stonethrowers Rally at Clonmel saw Cavan driver Patrick Elliott claim a last minute victory, giving him the outright lead in the Dunlop National Rally Championship.

For the first seven stages, three times champion Niall Maguire from Monaghan headed the field, with Elliott always close behind, and the two title rivals, who were level on points after the previous six rallies, started the last stage, Red City, less than one second apart.

However, a slow puncture for Maguire caught him out, and he spun his Impreza at one of the last junctions, losing ten seconds and the rally, with Elliott 9.3 seconds ahead when it mattered. Kevin Barrett finished a distant third, with P J McGrath fourth in yet another Subaru.

Billy Coleman Award winner Keith Cronin easily led the Group N Production class for much of the day, holding fifth overall, but he slid off on the sixth stage and couldn't regain the road, handing the class win to Alan Ring in another Lancer Evo.

1 Patrick Elliott/Paul Goodman (Impreza WRC) 62m 53s,

2 Niall Maguire/Paul McLaughlin (Impreza WRC) 63m 02s,

3 Kevin Barrett/Sean Mullally (Impreza WRC) 64m 45s,

4 P J McGrath/Billy Collins (Impreza WRC) 65m 35s,

5 Terence O'Shaughnessy/Eugene McGrath (Corolla) 66m 26s,

6 Maurice Moffett/Jason McKenna (Starlet) 66m 31s,

7 Aaron MacHale/Killian Duffy (Focus WRC) 66m 48s,

8 Alan Ring/Adrian Deasy (Lancer Evo 9 Gp N) 67m 12s,

9 Russell Woods/Martin Byrne (Escort) 67m 40s,

10 Jack Maguire/Paul Maguire (Escort Cosworth) 68m 04s.