Leinster Senior Football Championship Semi-Final

LAOIS 0-12 CARLOW 0-8

By Cian O'Connell at Croke Park

It has been a hugely encouraging campaign for Laois, who were cool and calm advancing to a first Leinster SFC Final since 2007.

Having claimed the Allianz Football League Division Four title John Sugrue’s charges are developing nicely claiming summer wins over Wexford, Westmeath, and Carlow.

Tactical and physical the opening period was all about how Laois dealt with Carlow’s defensive set-up with Sugrue’s team eventually going in protecting a 0-6 to 0-3 advantage at the break.

It was strange because Laois didn’t attempt an effort from play until the 15th minute when Donie Kingston clipped a beauty to add to a Ross Munnelly free.

Carlow did nail two of the next three scores as it remained a match high on industry and contact, but both defences were coping adequately.

Laois did enjoy one particularly productive four minute burst which yielded points from Alan Farrell, Finbarr Crowley, and a free from Munnelly.

As the interval approached Darragh O’Brien rifled over a fine score for Carlow, who only converted three from 10 shots. Laois were that little bit slicker at the opposite end taking six from nine and that is why they led at the turnaround.

After the restart, though, Laois’ conversion figures dropped alarmingly as they only registered one point from six efforts in 22 minutes.

Carlow continued to battle away and had the gap down to the minimum as Broderick landed three scores including one from play.

With 12 minutes left on the clock questions were being posed by Carlow, but Laois were beginning to locate answers as Niall Donoher struck a crucial point.

Donie Kingston briskly added a free putting Carlow under duress once more in the closing stages, but it stayed tense.

Laois were 0-10 to 0-7 in front when Carlow’s Shane Redmond was thwarted by a smart Mark Timmons intervention. Carlow craved a goal, but Laois demonstrated sufficient guile to close out the deal.

**Scorers for Laois: **Donie Kingston 0-3 (2fs), Ross Munnelly 0-2 (2fs), Alan Farrell, John O’Loughlin, Brian Glynn, Finbarr Crowley, Niall Donoher, Colm Begley, and Evan O’Carroll  0-1 each.

Scorers for Carlow: Paul Broderick 0-5 (4fs), Diarmuid Walshe, Darragh O’Brien, and Darragh Foley (f) 0-1 each.

LAOIS: Graham Brody; Stephen Attride, Mark Timmons, Gareth Dillon; Trevor Collins, Colm Begley, Finbarr Crowley; John O’Loughlin, Kieran Lillis; Alan Farrell, Niall Donoher, Damien O’Connor;  Ross Munnelly, Donie Kingston, Paul Kingston.

Subs: Benny Carroll for O’Connor (42), Brian Glynn for Farrell (46), Evan O’Carroll for Munnelly (53), Darren Strong for Paul Kingston (63), Gary Walsh for Donie Kingston (70), David Conway for O’Loughlin (70+2), Shane Nerney for Attride (70+9)

CARLOW: Robbie Molloy; Chris Crowley, Shane Redmond, Conor Lawlor; Jordan Morrissey, Daniel St Ledger, Ciaran Moran; Sean Murphy, Eoghan Ruth; Sean Gannon, Darragh Foley, Diarmuid Walshe; Paul Broderick, Darragh O’Brien, John Murphy.

Subs: Brendan Kavanagh for Gannon (HT), Cian Lawler for Walsh (59), Simon Doyle for O’Brien (63), Kieran Nolan for Crowley (70).

REFEREE: Fergal Kelly (Longford).