Hot town, summer’s finally in the city as it’s a nice 16c here in Croke Park, there’s little or no wind and there are largely blue skies overheard. Perfect for football and we’ll be underway here in under 25 minutes.

It’s expected to be a stroll in Croke Park for the Leinster and All Ireland champions, even with their patchy form throughout this 2012 season. Laois are perceived to be the weakest team left in the competition and that they are even in the last eight is quite an achievement. Here’s our preview and we are predicting a 10 point win for Dublin. http://thescore.thejournal.ie/dublin-v-laoise-544474-Aug2012/

In truth it’s a no-win situation for Dublin. If they take apart Laois, people will say the opposition were poor, if it’s close they’ll be hammered for the same flaws that blighted them in the first half against Wexford and second half against Meath. They could do with a statement win though and they do have questions to answer, particularly at the back where they’ve so far lacked the defensive intensity that saw them keep the opposition to low scores a year ago and created the turnovers that allowed them to prosper up front.

As for Laois, so much has to go right. They need Dublin to play poorly, they need to avoid taking the ball into the tackle, they need Kevin Meaney and Peter O’Leary to have the games of their lives, they need John O’Loughlin, Colm Begley and Brendan Quigley to continue their recent strand of great form, they need Ross Munnelly and Colm Kelly to kick eight points between them at least, and they need other forwards to step up. That’s asking a lot and in truth, there’s not a hope of it all happening.

Both teams are concluding their warm-ups, there are just five minutes to throw-in and here are the line-ups.

Dublin: Stephen Cluxton (Parnells); Michael Fitzsimons (Cuala), Rory O’Carroll (Kilmacud Crokes), Philly McMahon (Ballymun Kickhams); James McCarthy (Ballymun Kickhams), Kevin Nolan (Kilmacud Crokes), Cian O’Sullivan (Kilmacud Crokes); Eamon Fennell (St Vincent’s), Denis Bastick (Templeogue Synge Street); Paul Flynn (Fingallians), Alan Brogan (St Oliver Plunkett’s/Eoghan Ruadh), Bryan Cullen (Skerries Harps); Bernard Brogan (St Oliver Plunkett’s/Eoghan Ruadh), Michael Darragh MacAuley (Ballyboden St Enda’s), Eoghan O’Gara (Templeogue Synge Street).

Laois: Eoin Culliton (Timahoe); Cahir Healy (Portlaoise), Kevin Meaney (Arles-Kilcruise), Peter O’Leary (O’Dempsey’s); Darren Strong (Emo), John O’Loughlin (St Brigid’s), Conor Boyle (Portlaoise); Brendan Quigley (Timahoe), Colm Begley (Parnells); Ross Munnelly (Arles-Kilcruise), Gary Walsh (Ballylinan), Damien O’Connor (Timahoe); Billy Sheehan (Emo), Pádraig Clancy (Timahoe), Colm Kelly (Stradbally).

The referee is Cormac Reilly from Meath and Michael Duffy and Conor Lane are running the lines.

Crowd is actually quite small. The top tier is half full in the sun-drenched Cusack Stand, the rest of the top tier is empty, there is plenty of room on the lower tiers and the Hill is two-thirds full. At a guess we’d say 40,000.

Dublin 0-0 Laois 0-0: 1 mins – There is plenty of noise though and the game is on.

Dublin 0-0 Laois 0-0: 2 mins – Kevin Meaney is picking up Eoghan O’Gara and the Laois man has just been booked, Cahir Healy has started on Bernard Brogan.

Dublin 0-1 Laois 0-1: 6 mins – One change to that Dublin team, Diarmuid Connolly has started in place of Alan Brogan as Paul Flynn scores. At the other Laois are carrying the ball into tackles too much and not moving it quick enough. They do get on the board through a really good Colm Kelly free though.

Dublin 0-2 Laois 0-2: 8 mins – Ross Munnelly has Laois in front with a good score but if Laois had looked up, Gary Walsh had drifted into acres of space in front of goal. Back come Dublin and Bernard Brogan is put through but blazes over. Frantic start. And competitive start from Laois.

Dublin 0-2 Laois 0-3: 12 mins – Its been relatively sluggish from the champions so far and they are fouling a lot at the back. Ross Munnelly converts an easy free and then misses a harder chance from open play. But they’ll still take this opening spell.

Dublin 0-2 Laois 0-3: 14 mins –Another foul and Colm Kelly is doing well inside on Michael Fitzsimons as he wins a 50-50 ball in the lead up to that. Dublin fans aren’t happy but they are a little overzealous and excitable in defence right now. But amidst the jeers Kelly misses that free from 21 yards out. It was out to the left but should have been a score. At the other end Bernard Brogan misses from in front of the posts but he is getting into some good positions and Cahir Healy has his hands full.

Dublin 0-4 Laois 0-4: 18 mins – Diarmuid Connolly find Denis Bastick overlapping from midfield and that’s a good finish by the midfielder. He had his best ever game the last day and wants to carry that on. Nice finish. Not so much from Bernard Brogan who has a weak shot saved by another man in outstanding form Eoin Culliton. You sense something big is coming from Brogan though. Now Gary Walsh has Laois back in front. Brogan with a free has Dublin back level.

Dublin 0-5 Laois 0-5: 22 mins – Back come Laois and Ross Munnelly is really throwing himself about. Great start by him although it’s Padraig Clancy who finds Colm Begley for that score and a great finish. There’s trouble in the square though and Clancy and  Ross O’Carroll both go into the book after the umpires called attention to some handbags. Bernard Brogan gets the game back underway with a free.

Dublin 0-6 Laois 0-6: 25 mins – Great 45 from Cluxton near the Cusack Stand touchline and his side are in the lead. These last few minutes Eoghan O’Gara – so impressive when the sides met in the league – has began to find space and he is making an impact. Kevin Meaney is now on him as he goes into full-forward for the moment. In saying that, Dublin are giving away a lot of ball in the half-forward line with aimless passing and the backs continue to foul too much. That’s led to an easy free for Ross Munnelly. Level again.

Dublin 1-6 Laois 0-6: 29 mins – Brendan Quigley has been the driving force for Laois in the qualifiers but it’s Colm Begley doing well in midfield here. But that’s a cruel blow. Michael Darragh MacAuley goes through and his weak punch over Culliton was going to the net – and it would have been ruled out – except that John O’Loughlin got the slightest of touches making it an own goal. Undeserved. Now Laois need to hold tight and keep close.

Dublin 1-6 Laois 0-6: 32 mins – Soft free awarded to MacAuley as he fell into Quigley there but Brogan drills it wide. He’s looked dangerous but delivered little so far. Key three or four minutes coming up for Laois here as they need to stay in touch after a huge first-half effort.

Dublin 1-6 Laois 0-6: 35 mins – This is gutsy from Justin McNulty’s side. They hold the ball well and take their time as they look for an opening but there’s only a wide at the end of it all. Still, they’ve stopped Dublin kicking on after the goal. One minute of additional time.

Dublin 1-6 Laois 0-7: half-time – Eamonn Fennell goes into the book for a lazy tackle there,  and Gary Walsh gets a point before the break. Dublin have been poor and given away a lot of ball as they take it out of defence but don’t take away from Laois. They’ve stood up and given themselves a real chance. The full-back line has been hanging on to Eoghan O’Gara and Bernard Brogan but the damage has been minimal, they are doing well in midfield, particularly Colm Begley, Ross Munnelly has been hugely busy but so have Gary Walsh and Damien O’Connor while the full-forward line hasn’t been bad either. Game on. We’ll be back after the break where there’s still all to play for.

We are back on here.

Dublin 1-7 Laois 0-7: 38 mins – Floodlights are now on and Laois need to stay steady and start this half well. We’ve seen with Dublin they can blow away teams in minutes and that would be a travesty after their performance thus far. Meanwhile Stephen Cluxton opens the scoring with a long-range free.

Dublin 1-7 Laois 0-8: 42 mins – That’s a great free from Colm Kelly, well outside 45. Meanwhile Ciaran Kilkenny is on for Diarmuid Connolly. Dublin have failed to up their game after that sluggish first half and Laois are in with every chance if they hang tough and tag on some scores.

Dublin 1-8 Laois 0-8: 44 mins – Ball being given away cheaply by both sides, it seems no one wants to win this game. That’s better though, Paul Flynn keeps Dublin at a safe-ish distance from 35 out but Bryan Cullen can’t add to it as he shoots wide. He’s been largely anonymous.

Dublin 1-8 Laois 0-9: 46 mins – Clumsy by Kevin Nolan on Damien O’Connor as he shoulders the Laois man in the back. It’s given Kelly the chance to bring it back to two and he takes it. He’s been really calm and accurate with his deadballs. They could do with getting the next score now as each time they’ve threatened to get close, the champions have responded.

Dublin 1-8 Laois 0-10: 49 mins – Paul Flynn the latest to give away a kickable free and he is furious with referee Cormac Reilly. Doesn’t bother Ross Munnelly, from the hands just to the right of the posts he makes it a one-point game. Padraig McMahon on for Gary Walsh. This is tense.

Dublin 1-9 Laois 0-10: 52 mins – Dublin’s tackling is so lazy, Flynn is now booked. It’s like a throwback to their 2010 level. Eoghan O’Gara gets a crucial point, Laois are furious, they were sure it was wide. The linesman isn’t looking at the big screen today though as  Kevin McManoman comes on for Denis Bastick who went out of the game after his early point.

Dublin 1-9 Laois 0-10: 55 mins – Damien O’Connor off, replaced by MJ Tierney. Dublin keeping Laois at bay with the jab but no sign of a knockout blow as they frantically clear the ball from in front of the goal. You sense Laois need the next score and they can be thankful as McManoman blazes wide from 21 after being put through by Brogan. O’Gara hits a bad wide too.

Dublin 1-9 Laois 0-10: 57 mins – Flynn fires way wide, awful shot selection but Dublin are beginning to win the breaks around midfield. You wonder are Laois tiring after a phenomenal effort. O’Gara hits another wide as Com Kelly is replaced by Paul Cahillane.

Dublin 1-10 Laois 0-11: 60 mins – Finally they do get a score through a straightforward Brogan free. Laois definitely need the next score now as this is squirming away from them. And they get it through a free of their own as Munnelly is hauled down. He looks exhausted, Damien O’Connor takes over the free-taking duty and gets it.

Dublin 1-10 Laois 0-11: 63 mins – Dublin with 14 men back here and Laois are giving it their all but giving away too much ball through aimless passing. Such a turnover sees  Kilkenny win a free, but Tomas Quinn – just on for Bernard Brogan who had a poor all-round game – misses it by a long way.

Dublin 1-11 Laois 0-11: 65 mins – Huge score there from Kevin Nolan who ghosts around the back of the Laois defence and opts to take the easy point. Goal needed now surely by Laois, although they haven’t created such a chance all day.

Dublin 1-11 Laois 0-12: 67 mins – Another clutch free from Damien O’Connor. There’s surely not the time to kick two points after a tight, defensive and nervy game all round.

Dublin 1-11 Laois 0-12: 68 mins – Best passage of play from Dublin all day sees them take a minute off the clock and win a line ball at the end of it.

Dublin 1-12 Laois 0-12: 70 mins – Still they run the clock down and now they win a 45. Cluxton is in no rush as he walks up the pitch.  There’ll be one minute. That’s bizarre after the flurry of subs. And Cluxton has taken a minute to take this 45, over  minute, but he finally gets it. Hardly time for Laois to reply now?

Dublin 1-12 Laois 0-12: full-time  - There isn’t and Laois players fall to their knees after a hell of an effort. Dublin were poor, but credit their opponents on their best performance in an age. It’ll mean little to Justin McNulty and his players though as an own goal is all they are short of the champions. As for Dublin, again they don’t look the side of a year ago but again they win. Their defence gave away far too many simple frees, their midfield only really took control in the final quarter and their shot selection up front was poor. That’s two below-average games for Bernard Brogan although they have Alan Brogan to come back and he is the key man. Nothing for Mayo to fear there, although if rumours that Andy Moran’s cruciate is gone and his season is over are true, then  that’s massive. Good enough for now from the champions, but much more will be needed if they aren’t to be former champions by the end of the season.