Teenage sensation Joe Canning steered Portumna to their first AIB All-Ireland Club SHC title today as he top-scored in their 2-08 to 1-06 final win over Newtownshandrum at Croke Park.
The 17-year-old starlet, who helped the Galway minors to successive All-Irelands in 2004 and 2005, struck 1-01 in the first half and was Portumna’s sole scorer in the second half – hitting over five frees – to down Newtown, the 2004 champions.
Having triumphed in their first All-Ireland Club final appearance, Portumna join Castlegar, Sarsfields, Kiltormer and Athenry as Galway clubs who have lifted senior club hurling’s biggest prize – the Tommy Moore Cup.
Canning, who scored 2-16 in Portumna's run through to the decider, was very much a marked man. Yet he still found enough space in the third-minute to blaze through and smash a rising shot to the Newtown net. Goalkeeper Paul Morrissey stood little chance.
Newtown looked to their forward talisman Ben O'Connor to get them back into it, but the 2005 All-Star was wide with three placed balls in the opening 19 minutes.
On eight minutes, the Portumna faithful were toasting their side’s second goal when Canning scooped up a loose ball near the square and he flicked a one-handed stick pass into the unmarked Niall Healy who batted home. Seconds later, the young starlet drove over his first free for a 2-01 to 0-00 lead.
It took another youngster – 19-year-old Cathal Naughton – to rally the Cork troops. Naughton, a former Irish underage soccer player who spent time across the water with Nottingham Forest, landed two points in the space of 40 seconds on the quarter-hour to open Newtown's account.
Portumna shifted wily Galway defender Ollie Canning over to mark Naughton and it had the desired effect until the 21st-minute when a Naughton pass set midfielder Jerry O’Connor, Ben's twin brother, on his way for a neatly-taken goal. He drilled a fantastic shot low and to the right side of the Portumna net.
O'Connor's goal whittled the Eugene McEntee-skippered westerners' lead down to three points - 2-02 to 1-02. The sides added a point apiece before the break, with Ben O’Connor (free) and Portumna's Leo Smith raising white flags.
Ben O'Connor grabbed his second point – from a right wing free – three minutes into the second half to make it a two-point game, but that was as close as the Cork men got.
Canning, who ended with 1-06 (6f), then increased his influence when he struck the final's next four points – frees on 36, 41, 45 and 53 minutes – the third of which he earned himself for a foul by Pat Mulcahy, the Cork senior captain for 2006.
Newtown wing-back Mulcahy was visibly frustrated and was sent off for his second bookable offence on 57 minutes, when he lashed out at a grounded Niall Hayes in an off-the-ball incident. By that stage, Portumna were 2-07 to 1-05 to the good.
Ben O'Connor traded late frees with the on-fire Canning before thundering in a last-gasp goal shot which Ollie Canning, elder brother of Joe, swiped away to safety off the Portumna line.
Scorers -Portumna: J Canning 1-06 (6f), N Hayes 1-00, D Hayes, L Smith 0-01 each. Newtownshandrum: B O'Connor 0-04 (2f), J O'Connor 1-00, C Naughton 0-02.
