Laois prove too much for Carlow

Carlow 1-07 Laois 0-15

Leinster champions Laois had too much in reserve for a plucky Carlow at Dr Cullen Park as they closed out their Leinster SFC quarter final in the ascendancy and on the back of a final four points.

Darren Rooney, Padraic Clancy, Ross Munnelly and Chris Conway all pointed in the closing five minutes as Mick O'Dwyer's side showed evidence of their form of the summer of 2003.

Carlow flattered to deceive in the first half, scoring just twice through a 13th minute Brian Kelly goal and Simon Rea free for a 1-01 half time tally, with Kelly hitting three points in the second.

Luke Dempsey's side will be kicking themselves as Laois looked laboured for a time but six first half wides took their toll on the home side.

Rea's second minute free was cheered to the rafters, as was Kelly's goal from a superb hand pass by wing forward Sean Kavanagh 11 minutes later.

Laois' reply was swift and smart as they struck for six points without reply from the fiteenth to the 34th minute.

Brian 'Beano' McDonald was the catalyst, although taken off at half time through injury, as he notched three of those along with Munnelly, Michael Lawlor and the busy Colm Parkinson.

Matters worsened for Carlow in the second half as O'Dwyer saw fit to bring on midfielder Clancy at the break, a star of their Leinster run last season.

However at 1-01 to 0-07 down, Rea and Kelly made it a one-point game with scores on 37 and 42 minutes.

Kevin Fitzpatrick and Lawlor replied in due course before Carlow crept a little closer with three scores up to the hour mark.

Two Kelly points and a raking score from Kavanagh put one between the sides again with nine minutes remaining.

Chris Conway snapped a Laois point over off his right side and with Johnny Nevin coming into the game, Mark Carpenter scooped over Carlow's seventh in response.

That was as good as it got for Dempsey's men as Laois clinically closed out the game with a quarter of scores, booking a Croke Park semi final date against Sean Boylan's Meath on June 20.