Dublin 1-17

Laois 1-10

A STORMING second-half performance eased Dublin to victory at Parnell Park, opening up an inviting path to the Bord Gáis Energy Leinster U-21 hurling final.

Joe Fortune’s Dubs led by just a point at half-time but a run of nine points without response after the restart killed off the contest.

The win secured Dublin a provincial semi-final clash with Carlow or Westmeath on 25 June, a tie they will be favourites to win. The hosts did endure a nervous first 10 minutes or so and they trailed 0-4 to 0-2 after eight minutes.

But senior star Colm Cronin’s 13th minute goal put Dublin into a lead they would hold onto until full-time. Cronin finished with 1-3 while free-taker Paul Winters converted eight placed balls in the hour.

Laois fielded half a dozen players who were involved in last weekend’s Leinster senior championship qualifier series win over Antrim. As for Dublin, they were without five key members of the minor side that contested the 2011 All-Ireland final. But they easily overcame the loss of star talents like Ciaran Kilkenny, Cormac Costello and Emmet O Conghaile.

They led by 1-7 to 0-9 at half-time. Caolan Conway and Kevin O’Flynn missed goal chances after the restart. But nine points in a row including two from Cronin, allied to the 44th minute Laois dismissal of centre-back Willie Young, eased Dublin to victory.

There was brief consolation late on for Laois when sub Tadhg Dowling netted.

Scorers for Dublin: Paul Winters 0-8 (8f), Colm Cronin 1-3, Oisin O’Rorke 0-3, Chris Crummy, Cian Boland and Tom Devlin 0-1 each.

Scorers for Laois: Stephen Maher 0-4 (4f), Tadhg Dowling 1-0, Joe Campion, Ciaran Collier, Charles Dwyer, PJ Scully, Ben Conroy and Padraic Lawlor 0-1 each.

DUBLIN

1. Conor Dooley (Ballyboden St Enda’s)
2. Seán McClelland (Lucan Sarsfields)
3. Cian O’Callaghan (Cuala)
4. Matthew McCaffrey (Lucan Sarsfields)
5. Eoghan O’Donnell (Whitehall Colmcille)
6. Rob Murphy (Kilmacud Crokes)
7. Chris Crummey (Lucan Sarsfields)
8. Glen Whelan (Ballinteer St John’s)
9. Conor Robinson (Ballyboden St Enda’s)
10. Paul Winters (St Brigid’s)
11. Kevin O’Flynn (St Sylvester’s)
12. Colm Cronin (Cuala)
13. Oisín O’Rorke (Kilmacud Crokes)
14. Aodhán Clabby (Ballinteer St John’s)
15. Caolán Conway (Kilmacud Crokes)

Subs: Donal Gormley (Balinteer St John’s) for Murphy (36), Cian Boland (St Oliver Plunkett’s Eoghan Ruadh) for Conway (41), Tom Devlin (St Jude’s) for Clabby (42), AJ Murphy (Na Fianna) for Crummy (52), Cian MacGabhann (Kilmacud Crokes) for O’Donnell (61).

LAOIS

1. Enda Rowland (St Lazerian’s Abbeyleix)
2. Matthew Collier (Camross)
3. Gearoid Burke (Camross)
4. Conor Dunne (Portlaoise)
5. Dwane Palmer (Camross)
6. Willie Young (Clonaslee St Manman’s)
7. Colm Stapleton (Borris-in-Ossory-Kilcotton)
8. Paddy Whelan (Borris-in-Ossory-Kilcotton)
9. Ciaran Collier (Camross)
10. Joe Campion (Borris-in-Ossory-Kilcotton)
11. Charles Dwyer (Ballinakill)
12. Ben Conroy (Castletown Slieve Bloom)
13. PJ Scully (Borris-in-Ossory-Kilcotton)
14. Ross King (Rathdowney Errill)
15. Stephen Maher (Clough Ballacolla)

Subs: Padraic Lawlor (Balinakill) for Peacock (24), Aaron Moore (Camross) for Scully (37), Aaron McGowan (Colt) for Dunne (51), Tadhg Dowling (Rathdowney Errill) for Conroy (52).

Referee: John Keenan (Wicklow).

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