Good afternoon and welcome to our live coverage of the first Leinster SHC semi-final.

It has already been a bad day for Laois GAA — the footballers were stunned by Antrim in O’Moore Park earlier. Can the hurlers salvage something by booking their place in a first Leinster final since 1985?

2012 champions Galway, chasing a shot at only their second provincial crown, stand in their way.

Throw-in is at 5pm.

TEAM NEWS: Here’s the Galway team as named earlier this week.

There are two changes from the side which trounced Dublin in the quarter-final replay a fortnight ago — Joseph Cooney and the injured Jason Flynn miss out, with Niall Healy and David Burke starting in the forwards.

Galway:

1. Colm Callanan (Kinvara)

2. Johnny Coen (Loughrea)
4. Padraig Mannion (Ahascragh-Fohenagh)
3. John Hanbury (Rahoon-Newcastle)

5. David Collins (Liam Mellowes)
6. Iarla Tannian (Ardrahan)
7. Daithi Burke (Turloughmore)

8. Andrew Smith (Portumna)
9. Aidan Harte (Gort)

10. David Burke (St Thomas’s)
11. Cyril Donnellan (Padraig Pearses)
12. Jonathan Glynn (Ardrahan)

13. Cathal Mannion (Ahascragh-Fohenagh)
14. Joe Canning (Portumna)
15. Niall Healy (Craughewell)

TEAM NEWS: Two changes for Laois as well as they look to build on their brilliant win over Offaly. Ben Conroy and PJ Scully come in for Dwayne Palmer and Stephen ‘Picky’ Maher.

Laois

Late changes for Laois — it seems that Palmer and Maher WILL both start in the full-forwards.

There will be a minute’s silence for the victims of the Berkeley tragedy before throw-in.

We’re underway — Galway will have the wind in this first half.

Paddy Purcell has the first shot of the game but it drops short into the hands of Galway keeper Colm Callanan.

‘Picky’ Maher appears to have started in the half-back line with Joe Campion also dropping back as a sweeper as well. A defensive approach but you can hardly blame Laois playing into the wind.

Chance for Joe Canning as gets his hand up to win possession ahead of Matthew Whelan. His shot is blocked away for a 65.

Galway 0-1 Laois 0-0: Canning doesn’t catch the 65 cleanly and it’s scrambled behind for another 65. He makes no mistake at the second time of asking and Galway lead.

Galway are struggling to use the breeze to their advantage in these early minutes. A lot of passes are overshooting their mark and that packed Laois defence is gobbling them up.

Galway 0-1 Laois 0-1: Galway’s defence parts in front of Paddy Purcell and he zips the ball over the bar from close range.

Galway 0-2 Laois 0-1: Joe Canning lines up a free from his own 65 line and puts it over the bar.

Jonathan Glynn hits Galway’s third wide. Laois will be very pleased with how they’ve started — they’re doing well to frustrate and limit Galway.

Cathal Mannion rushes his shot and, again, it’s a Galway wide. That was wasteful.

Galway 0-2 Laois 0-2: Tommy Fitzgerald’s shot hangs for ages and ages… before dropping over the bar. All square.

Cyril Donnellan – wide. That’s five in the first 15 minutes.

Joe Canning puts Joe Fitzpatrick under pressure. Cathal Noonan / INPHO Cathal Noonan / INPHO / INPHO

Galway 0-3 Laois 0-2: Joe Canning converts another free to nudge Galway back in front. They still haven’t scored from play though.

GOAL FOR GALWAY! Galway 1-3 Laois 0-2: Freak goal for Galway but they all count! Johnny Coen launches a long ball out of the full-back line and it catches the wind before bouncing past Eoin Reilly. The Laois keeper will be bitterly disappointed.

Galway 1-5 Laois 0-2: John Hanbury gets in on the scoring act, and then Andy Smith tacks on another. Galway lead by six.

Galway 1-6 Laois 0-2: And another for Canning. All of Laois’s hard work has been undone by that fluke goal.

Galway 1-7 Laois 0-2: This game has changed utterly in the last five minutes. David Burke scores to leave eight between them.

Galway 1-8 Laois 0-2: Padraig Mannion makes it a full house for the full-back line. They’ve outscored Laois by themselves so far!

Galway 1-9 Laois 0-2: Cathal Mannion gets another. Laois can’t live with Galway at all.

Fine save by Eoin Reilly who dives down low to his left and tips Cyril Donnellan’s shot around the post.

Galway 1-10 Laois 0-2: Joe Canning slots the 65. That’s five for him already this afternoon.

Galway 1-11 Laois 0-2: Niall Healy peels away from the Laois pressure and knocks over his first point.

Galway 1-12 Laois 0-2: Canning is given the time and space to shoot from the halfway line. You don’t want to be doing that.

Galway 1-13 Laois 0-2: Another Canning free. It’s very hard to see any way back for Laois from here.

It looks like Picky Maher is going to push a bit more forward. It’s 18 minutes since Laois scored, and it goes without saying that they really need to shake it up if they’re to give themselves any chance.

Galway 1-14 Laois 0-2: Another one for the Galway full-back line! Padraig Mannion again.

Galway 1-15 Laois 0-2: It’s hard to keep up here. This one is courtesy of David Burke.

Galway 1-16 Laois 0-2: Canning. Again.

Galway 1-17 Laois 0-2: Niall Healy is out in open country and he points. Eighteen in it.

Laois haven’t scored since the 14th minute; Galway have 1-15 in that period.

Oh.

Galway 1-18 Laois 0-2: Yep, Canning. That’s nine I think — I’m running out of fingers.

Galway 1-18 Laois 0-2

So, this is getting out of hand.

Here are the first-half stats, courtesy of Sky

Sky Sports Sky Sports

Here are the first-half scorers:

Galway: Joe Canning 0-9, Johnny Coen 1-0, Padraig Mannion, David Burke, Niall Healy 0-2 each, John Hanbury, Andy Smith, Cathal Mannion 0-1 each.

Laois: Paddy Purcell, Tommy Fitzgerald 0-1 each.

Here we go again. Can Laois mount any sort of resistance with the wind at their backs in this second half?

Galway 1-18 Laois 0-3: They’re winning the second half anyway. Cha Dwyer gets the opening point for Laois.

Galway 1-18 Laois 0-4: Willie Hyland wins possession, and a free. Zane Keenan converts.

Galway 1-18 Laois 0-5: Great running by Paddy Purcell who collects the ball on the overlap and stretches out his legs before point. Three unanswered from Laois to start the second half.

Galway 1-19 Laois 0-5: Joe Canning scythes through the Laois defence and points.

Davy Glennon is only on a moment or two as a sub when he clatters Eoin Reilly as the pair compete for a loose ball. That will be the first yellow card.

Galway 1-20 Laois 0-5: Aidan Harte and Andy Smith combine, and the latter scores.

GOAL FOR LAOIS! Galway 1-20 Laois 1-5: Reilly launches the ball down on top of the Galway goal where Picky Maher gets the touch to score.

They couldn’t, could they?

(No, they couldn’t.)

Galway 1-21 Laois 1-5: Davy Glennon points. Sixteen-point game, Ger.

GOAL FOR GALWAY! Galway 2-21 Laois 1-6: Andy Smith drops a long ball in to the square and Joe Canning does the rest. He outmuscles the Laois defenders, turns, shoots and scores.

Galway 2-21 Laois 1-7: Paddy Purcell for Laois.

Canning’s running total now stands at 1-10, if you’re keeping count.

Galway 2-21 Laois 1-8: Joe Campion points for Laois. This is all gone a little bit flat, as you might expect.

Galway 2-22 Laois 1-8

That’s Campion’s last involvement as he’s replaced by Neil Foyle, who goes straight into the full-forward line.

Canning points a free. Seventeen points in it.

Galway 2-23 Laois 1-8: A second for Galway sub Davy Glennon.

GOAL FOR GALWAY! Galway 3-23 Laois 1-8: A bit of a test for the new advantage rule. Davy Glennon is clearly fouled as he charges through on goal, and referee Fergal Horgan has the whistle blown before he manages to palm the ball into the net. After consulting with his umpires, the referee allows the goal to stand.

Galway 3-23 Laois 1-9: Zane Keenan converts a 65.

Galway 3-24 Laois 1-9: Joe Canning. Free. 1-12.

Galway 3-24 Laois 1-10: Zane Keenan’s free leaves, eh, 20 between the sides.

The footballers or the hurlers?!

Galway 3-25 Laois 1-11: Zane Keenan points another free but it’s purely cosmetic at this stage.

Galway 3-25 Laois 1-11: No show like a Joe show, they say. He points again.

Galway 3-27 Laois 1-12: Picky Maher gets another one back for Laois.

Galway 3-28 Laois 1-12… or if you care to write it another way, man of the match Joe Canning 1-15 Laois 1-12. Superb stuff.

Galway 3-28 Laois 1-13: Laois sub Paddy Whelan scores. They must be praying for the final whistle.

Galway 3-28 Laois 1-14: Paddy Whelan gets another in additional time. That might be it.

FT: Galway 3-28 Laois 1-14

All over — Galway run out winners by 20 points. Very impressive, very emphatic win.

It’s the qualifiers for Laois. You’d have to wonder how they can bounce back from such a demoralising beating though.

That’s it from us for now. Thanks for reading.