Laois v Westmeath: All square at half-time

Laois 0-06 Westmeath 0-06, Croke Park, 4.15pm

It's level at half time in the first-ever Bank of Ireland Leinster SFC final between Laois and Westmeath at Croke Park.

Champions Laois made a stunning start, seeing Brian 'Beano' McDonald, Ross Munnelly and Kevin Fitzpatrick point them into a 0-03 to 0-01 lead. Westmeath, in their first final appearance from 1949, went 14 minutes without a score from play.

Fergal Wilson, Denis Glennon and Dessie Dolan got the Lake County back into contention, with Dolan levelling it at 0-05 apiece on 32 minutes from a free.

Westmeath's fourth point in a row from Dolan put them in front into injury time, but McDonald squared it up with a fine point on the run.

LAOIS: F Byron; A Fennelly, C Byrne, J Higgins; D Rooney, T Kelly, P McDonald; N Garvan, P Clancy; R Munelly, B McDonald, C Conway; I Fitzgerald, C Parkinson, K Fitzpatrick. Subs used: M Lawlor for Fitzgerald (23 mins), S Cook for Byrne (33)

WESTMEATH: G Connaughton; J Davitt, D O'Donoghue, J Keane; M Ennis, D Healy, D Heavin; G Dolan, D O'Shaughnessy; B Morley, P Conway, F Wilson; A Mangan, D Glennon, D Dolan. Sub used: R O’Connell for G Dolan (20 mins)

Scorers:

Laois: R Munnelly, B McDonald 0-02 each, K Fitzpatrick, C Conway 0-01 each

Westmeath: D Glennon, F Wilson (2f), D Dolan (1f) 0-02 each