Leinster U21: Dublin ease past Laois
Leinster U21: Dublin ease past Laois
Leinster U21: Dublin ease past Laois
LEINSTER U21 HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP QUARTER-FINAL: DUBLIN 1-17 LAOIS 1-10
Dublin advanced to the last four of the Leinster U21 Hurling Championship on Wednesday evening, defeating Laois at Parnell Park in what was the opening game of the 2014 Bord Gáis Energy GAA Hurling U-21 All-Ireland Championship
Joe Fortune's side were just one ahead at the interval, leading 1-7 to 0-9. However, they took control of the game in the third quarter, hitting nine points without reply, paving the way for what was a comfortable victory in the end.
Colm Cronin's stunning 25-yard strike for goal after 13 minutes put Dublin in front for the first time in the game, leading 1-2 to 0-4, and they opened up a three-point lead before points from Ciarán Collier, Ben Conroy and Joe Campion closed the gap for Laois before the break.
However, Dublin made a flying start to the second half. They went close with a goal effort that struck the bar, and then reeled off nine points without reply between the resumption and the 51st minute to take complete control.
Paul Winters was outstanding from placed balls, and he finished with 0-8, while Cronin struck three superb scores during this spell.
Things were made even more difficult in this period for Laois when Willie Young was sent off on 43 minutes after picking up a second yellow card.
Séamus Plunkett's side managed a goal before the end through Tadhg Dowling to take some of the edge off the scoreboard, but the reality was that the game had simply gone away from the visitors in the early stages of the second half.
Dublin will play either Westmeath or Carlow in the Leinster semi-final on June 25.
Scorers for Dublin: P Winters 0-8 (8f), C Cronin 1-3, O O'Rorke 0-3, C Robinson 0-1, C Boland 0-1, T Devlin 0-1
Scorers for Laois: S Maher 0-4 (3f), T Dowling 1-0, C Collier 0-1, J Campion 0-1, C Dwyer 0-1, B Conroy 0-1, PJ Scully 0-1, P Lawlor 0-1
DUBLIN: C Dooley; M McCaffrey, C O'Callaghan, S McClelland; E O'Donnell, R Murphy, C Crummey; G Whelan, C Robinson; P Winters, K O'Flynn, C Cronin; C Conway, A Clabby, O O'Rorke. Subs: D Gormley for Murphy (35), C Boland for Conway (41), T Devlin for Clabby (42), AJ Murphy for Crummey (51), C Mac Gabhann for O'Donnell (61).
LAOIS: E Rowland; M Collier, G Burke, C Dunne; D Palmer, W Young, P Whelan; C Collier, J Campion; C Dwyer, R Peacock, PJ Scully; S Maher, R King, B Conroy. Subs: P Lawlor for Palmer (22), A Moore for Scully (37), T Dowling for Conroy (53).
Referee: J Keenan (Wicklow).