GALWAY SHC Portumna 4-14 Gort 6-5: JOE CANNING celebrated his 21st birthday by guiding Portumna into their seventh successive Galway final in a remarkable match at Kenny Park, Athenry yesterday.

Canning hit 1-7 from a variety of positions but did not finish the match after receiving a late head wound. Gort, trailing by double scores for most of the game, came with a late rally, scoring 2-1 in stoppage time to reduce the margin to a goal. But Portumna were always on top in this repeat of last year’s final.

Goals from Damien Hayes and Martin Dolphin helped the All-Ireland champions lead 3-5 to 1-2 at the interval and they increased this to 3-8 to 1-2 within three minutes of the restart. But two goals from Andy Coen and late efforts from Ollie Fahy and Niall Linnane somehow kept Gort in contention.

SCORERS

Portumna: J Canning (1-7, four frees, one sideline); M Dolphin (2-0); D Hayes (1-1); A Smith (0-2, one free); G Heagney (0-1); M Ryan (0-1, free); K Hayes (0-1), L Smith (0-1).

Gort: A Coen (2-1, 1-0 free, one 65); G Quinn (1-4, 1-3 frees, one 65); K Killilea (1-0); N Linnane (1-0); O Fahy (1-0).