Portumna 2-18 Dunloy 0-12

'HEY JOE, where you goin' with that gun in your hand?

Hey Joe, I said where you goin' with that gun in your hand?'

Gun or hurl, when it comes to Joe Canning, the outcome is usually the same. Guns kill people, Canning kills off games. And he plays with the hurl the same way Jimi Hendrix played with the guitar. It's compulsive viewing.

Truth is this wasn't even vintage Joe Canning (if there is such a thing as vintage, at age 21). He only hit 1-8, all from placed balls, and actually missed a couple of his trademark sidelines - but he was ultimately the big difference between Portumna booking their date in Croke Park on St Patrick's Day instead of Dunloy.

And we all know what that means. The first thought on everybody's lips at Parnell Park on the final whistle was who won the other semi-final - and on hearing it was Ballyhale, Portumna manager Johnny Kelly did what managers do: promptly played down Portumna's chances.

"I suppose it's the draw everyone has been waiting for, since last year, in Thurles," said Kelly, referring to Portumna's five-goal dismantling of the Kilkenny champions. "But we're under no illusions. This display wouldn't be good enough to win against Ballyhale. Everyone here knows that we'll have to improve if we want to go on and win the All-Ireland."

Yet Kelly wasn't overly embellishing things when saying Portumna will have to improve. It certainly wasn't the St Valentine's Day massacre that most people had predicted, and midway through the second half, Dunloy trailed by just five points - having hit four points without reply.

Six years ago, Dunloy caused one of the great upsets in club hurling when they beat Portumna, and while that never looked like repeating itself here, the Antrim champs were not overwhelmed.

In fact Dunloy were in front after 10 seconds when Paddy Richmond hit the opening score. That was as good as it got. After 20 minutes Portumna were up 1-8 to 0-3, Canning providing four frees, before providing Ciarán Ryan with the shot at goal - which Ryan deftly kicked into the Dunloy net.

At least it stayed interesting for the opening 15 minutes of the second half; Canning added a sixth free, but Portumna then went 12 minutes without a score. In the meantime Dunloy helped themselves to four points, closing the gap to 1-11 to 0-9. Paul Shiels was faultless with his free-taking, and yet the goal which Dunloy needed to give themselves any chance victory never looked like surfacing.

Portumna's change in tactics, bringing Martin Dolphin back to midfield, soon had the desired effect, and before long they had hit back with six points without reply - including three in quick succession from Smith.

Then, two minutes from time, Canning lined up a free just outside the 20-metre line. There was no reason to go for goal. 'Hey Joe, where you goin' with that gun in your hand?'Canning couldn't have fired the ball into the net with any more force than if the ball had come from a gun. The ball went straight in, like a bullet of light.

PORTUMNA: I Canning; A O'Donnell, E McEntee, O Canning; G Heagney, M Ryan, P Smith (0-1); L Smith, E Lynch; A Smith (0-3), K Hayes (0-3), C Ryan (1-1); D Hayes (0-2), J Canning (1-8, all frees), M Dolphin.

DUNLOY: G McGhee; M McClements, J McKeague, Cathaoir Cunning; K McKeague (0-2), P Shiels (0-5, all frees), K Molloy; P Shivers, Colum Cunning; G O'Kane, L Richmond (0-1), Conor Cunning; P Doherty (0-1), P Richmond (0-1), S Dowds (0-2, both frees). Subs: A Elliott for Dowds (36 mins), D Kelly for Doherty (45 mins), M Molloy for Shivers (55 mins).

Referee: B Gavin (Offaly).