EirGrid Leinster Under 20 Championship Semi-Final

LAOIS 1-7 KILDARE 0-4

By Rory Delaney at MW Hire O'Moore Park

Laois are through to a second-successive Leinster Under 20 final, after a dogged and clinical performance saw them get the better of Kildare in MW Hire O’Moore Park.

Eddie Kinsella’s men never trailed in the game, played in driving wind and rain in Portlaoise. Kildare got within a goal of them in the second half, but the home side stayed calm and defied the elements to pick off some nice scores throughout the game.

Mark Barry curled over a free in the sixth minute to open the scoring. A further seven minutes would pass before we had another score, but it was worth the wait for Laois fans.

Barry Howlin played a high ball into the full-forward line which hung up in the air, and when it eventually came back to ground level Laois' Damon Larkin gained possession and calmly slotted to the bottom corner.

Soon after Matthew Byron trotted forward to stroke a free between the posts, as Laois led 1-2 to 0-0 after 20 minutes.

Kildare finally opened their account after that when Alex Beirne wasn't picked up and he popped over over from 30 yards out, but Mark Barry had responded for Laois within a minute.

Ronan Coffey followed that up moments later with a superb score from a tight angle, the Laois lead now standing at six.

Kildare hadn't made the most of wind advantage up to this, and they belatedly tried to in the closing stages. Shane O'Sullivan struck first with a masterful score off the outside of his right boot from the right wing, and then in stoppage time, Darragh Kirwan added another.

Laois still had the advantage at half-time though, as they were 1-4 to 0-3 ahead.

If anything, the conditions probably worsened at half time and the second half once again saw scores incredibly hard to come by. It took until the 39th minute for either side to register one, as Alex Beirne blasted over the bar from close range.

That left the goal between the sides, but Laois stayed calm and eventually went four ahead again as they earned a free 25 yards out, and Mark Barry slotted it over the bar.

Laois were handed a further boost in the closing stages when Kildare's marquee attacker Shane O'Sullivan was red-carded, and to hammer home the advantage Mark Barry pointed at the other end a minute later.

Colin Slevin then put the icing on the cake with a point in added time, as Laois could start to plan for another Leinster final appearance at this grade.

Meanwhile, in Belfast Adam Loughran's first half goal was the key score as Antrim defeated Derry in an exciting Ulster Championship Under 20 quarter-final by 1-9 to 2-4.

Scorers for Laois: Mark Barry 0-4 (2fs), D Larkin 1-0, Matthew Byron 0-1 (f), Ronan Coffey 0-1, Colin Slevin 0-1.

Scorers for Kildare: Alex Beirne 0-2, Shane O'Sullivan 0-1 (f), Darragh Kirwan 0-1.

LAOIS: Matthew Byron; Michael Dowling, Alex Mohan, Neil Keane; Sean O'Flynn, Gary Saunders, Jack Lacey; PJ Daly, Barry Howlin; Ronan Coffey, Jack Owens, Damon Larkin; Mark Barry, Daragh Galvin, Colin Slevin.

Subs: Dean Brophy for Howlin (40 mins), Sean O'Neill for Daly (45 mins), Ross Bolger for Galvin (54 mins).

KILDARE: Matt Anderson; Jack Hamill, John Lawler, Sean Moore; DJ Earley, Paddy McDermott, Jack Collins; Mark Grehan, Tony O’Connor; Jack Sargent, Shane O’Sullivan, Adam Steed; Alex Beirne, Darragh Kirwan, Cathal McCabe.

Subs: Darren McDermott for Sargent (40 mins), Luke Griffin for Kirwan (45 mins), M Cully for Grehan (53 mins).

REFEREE: Fergal Kelly (Longford).