LEINSTER SHC: Laois set up date with Clare

Laois 3-13 Westmeath 4-5

Laois now face a qualifier meeting with a bruised Clare.

The O’Moore county relied heavily on James Young (0-11) in their 11-point loss to Offaly in the Leinster quarter-final.

Tonight they needed just three points from the Tinnahinch marksman's hurl as Culleton (2-1) and Cuddy (1-1) ruled the scoring roost.

With talented half-forward Darren Rooney benched with injury, Laois wasted no time in exposing the Division 2 side's weaknesses.

Inside the first two minutes Culleton and Cuddy had both found the net, the two goals made by the directness of midfielder James Walsh and some quick interplay.

Westmeath's Ronan Whelan wasted no time in replying, striking home a low drive to the Laois net on seven minutes as the visitors regrouped to 1-1 to 2-0 down with Andrew Mitchell's first free. Young replied and a run of scores from Eoin Browne, Rooney's replacement, Michael McEvoy and Cuddy had Paudie Butler's men 2-4 to 1-2 in front at the break.

Mitchell struck two further placed balls inside the first six minutes of the second period but 1-5 in 11 minutes from the blue and whites killed off the game.

Damien Walsh, on for Cuddy, grabbed three of those points with the elusive Culleton slamming home a third Laois goal high to Mark Briody's net on 45 minutes.

Young picked up two more points, with Culleton adding a 40-metre effort and the effective Walsh wrapping things up with three points in the final 10 minutes.

Westmeath caused a late skirmish with 1-2 in the space of 90 seconds as Mitchell goaled a close-in free and corner forward substitute Derek McNicholas scrambled home another - their third - with six minutes remaining, but the comeback trail was closed.

Laois meet the Banner men as the curtain raiser to next weekend’s plum qualifier meeting of Limerick and Tipperary, at the Gaelic Grounds (5.30pm).

Scorers: Laois: D Culleton 2-1, D Cuddy 1-1, D Walsh 0-5, J Young 0-3, E Browne, M McEvoy 0-1 each

Westmeath: A Mitchell 1-4, R Whelan, K Cosgrove, D McNicholas 1-0 each, D McCormack 0-1

LAOIS: K Galvin; L Mahon, Paul Cuddy, A Delaney; J Fitzpatrick, L Tynan, M McEvoy; J Young, J Walsh; E Browne, P Mahon, C Cuddy; T Fitzgerald, D Cuddy, D Culleton.

WESTMEATH: M Briody; D Curley, B Murtagh, P Greville; O Devine, C Murtagh, D McCormack; S McDonnell, E Loughlin; K Cosgrove, V Bateman, A Mitchell; B Kennedy, J Shaw, R Whelan.