Galway SHC Semi-finals: Teenage sensation Joe Canning powered All-Ireland club champions Portumna to their fourth final in a row as they saw off the challenge of Craughwell on a 2-15 to 1-12 scoreline at Athenry yesterday.

Canning, who will turn 18 this month, gave another awesome display of hurling, scoring 1-11 over the hour in front of a crowd of about 8,000.

He blasted 1-5 from frees, chipped over a sideline cut, landed a 65 and fired over four points from play to put Mattie Murphy's side to the sword.

Canning also set up his elder brother Davy for Portumna's second goal after 12 minutes.

Craughwell, playing against the wind, trailed 2-6 to 0-6 at the break.

Portumna hurled superbly into the wind, shooting 0-9 without hitting a single wide.

Joe Canning scored eight of those points, two of them superb efforts from play, while team captain Damien Hayes got his third point from play.

Craughwell, for whom goalkeeper Aidan Ryan was superb, failed to score a point from play while they had the wind in the second half, though they were given a glimmer of hope when substitute Padraic Fahy rattled home a goal after 43 minutes.

Portumna will meet Loughrea, who qualified for their third final in four years when they beat Mullagh 1-11 to 0-7 in the first semi-final at the venue.

Loughrea full forward Johnny O'Loughlin tormented the Mullagh defence to set up a repeat of the 2003 and 2005 deciders, both of which Loughrea lost.

Mullagh managed just two points from play over the hour and were unable to make the most of an extra man after Loughrea wing forward Eddie McMahon, who will miss the final, was given a straight red for a wild pull after 46 minutes.

Mullagh's cause was not helped when they lost All Star Derek Hardiman to a shoulder injury with 10 minutes remaining.

GALWAY SHC SEMI-FINALS: Portumna 2-15 (J Canning 1-11, 1-5 frees, 0-1 sideline, 0-1 '65; D Hayes 0-3; D Canning 1-0; A Smith 0-1); Craughwell 1-12 (N Healy 0-5, frees; F Healy 0-3, two '65s, free; P Fahy 1-0; A Cullinane 0-2; D Rooney 0-2); Loughrea 1-11 (J O'Loughlin 1-4, 0-3 frees; J Maher 0-3, one free, one sideline; G Keary 0-2; T Regan, N Shaughnessy both 0-1); Mullagh 0-7 (N Cahalan 0-2, frees; Cathal Dervan 0-2, frees; Conor Dervan, K Briscoe, F Hardiman 0-1 each).