A second All-Ireland senior club medal, Joe Canning could not hide his delight as Portumna beat Birr by 3-19 to 3-09 in this afternoon's hurling decider at Croke Park.
The full-forward's ten-point haul was the difference as Portumna stopped the Offaly outfit from claiming a record fifth title.
‘They came at us straight from the start and we didn't expect anything else from the four times All-Ireland champions,’ Canning said after the final whistle.
‘They were going for their fifth title and we knew that they would come at us. I suppose they got a few lucky breaks at the start.
‘And for us it was lucky that they got the goals near the start and not at the end because we had the rest of the game to get back the lead.’
The 19-year-old struck some superb points including a sublime sixth point from a sideline cut and a long-range effort from deep inside the Portumna 45-metre line.
‘I don't know, I didn't step it when I was walking back in, but it was lucky enough,’ Canning joked.
‘There was a bit of a wind behind me and luckily enough it went over.’
Having shipped some heavy criticism in Galway that this Portumna side were just one-hit wonders, Canning urged his side's critics to respond to this win - their second All-Ireland success since 2006.
‘We were getting a lot of slack in Galway that we were only a one -hit wonder by winning it once,’ he said.
‘I think we had a point to prove today that it wasn't a fluke the first time. We think we are a good team and you have to have that confidence in yourself and your own ability.
‘We've won it twice in three years so it's up to everybody else to say if we are a great team or not. You aren't going to believe us if we say it.’
Looking ahead, Canning was probed about a call-up to Ger Loughnane's Galway panel and a possible All-Ireland senior triumph with the county side.
‘We'll see. I'll celebrate the club success and we are back again training now in a month as well for the club championship and we'll see, in the future, if I'm with Galway or not.’
Canning added: ‘Everyone's dream is to win an All-Ireland with your county and no better day, but it's even sweeter with the club. You are with everybody you grew up with. I knew everybody in the stand congratulating me.
‘If I'm with Galway you'd only know five or ten people and the club is a special achievement.’
Meanwhile, Birr's 'millennium man' Brian Whelahan's farewell to Croke Park was full of disappointment as his side's dreams of another club title ended in tatters.
Whelahan's woes were compounded deep in injury-time as he was red carded for his part in an off-the-ball incident.
The 36-year-old was fully accepting of his punishment when speaking after the game.
‘I'm very disappointed about that. It was just a stupid thing to do at this stage of my life,’ he said.
And despite his side's positive start which saw them goal twice in the opening ten minutes, the Birr captain felt that Portumna were very deserving winners.
‘The best team won and I don't think anyone in Birr would have any qualms about that. We got a great start and knocked them for six but then we started to stand off them.
‘You can't afford to do that against Portumna's running game. They came up here to do a job and they did it and we have no excuses.’
