Laois roar into Leinster final with Dubs win

Laois 0-16, Dublin 0-14 (full-time)

Laois, with all six forwards in scoring form and a team spirit bound since their minor days of 1996, scorched past Dublin, the reigning Leinster champions at Croke Park and into a provincial final against Kildare in five weeks' time.

It was the county's first senior win over Dublin since 1981 and thoroughly deserved in a Mick O'Dwyer-inspired display of direct football.

Ciaran Whelan will shoulder much of the criticism that will follow, as midfield was owned by man-of-the-match Pauric Clancy.

Tommy Lyons will rue 15 wides and particularly four goal chances, including a 60th minute chance which the normally composed Ray Cosgrove let slip through his legs.

Laois took their chances, including five frees, through Damien Delaney and Ross Munnelly.

O'Dwyer's side maintained a four point lead for much of the second half, though a three point run, culminating in Shane Ryan's point on 52 minutes saw Dublin draw within a goal.

Munnelly closed out a game in which Paddy Christie was Dublin's best performer, with a sequence of right-sided frees, before deep in injury time, Colin Moran stupidly went for a point and cut it wide when a goal was the score was needed to save their title.

A point attempt which summed up an embarrassing performance for the so-called All-Ireland contenders and sends them into the already overloaded qualifiers.