Dublin 2-17
Laois 2-5
Fintan O’Toole reports from Parnell Park
DUBLIN STORMED INTO the final of the EirGrid Leinster U21 football championship with an impressive display seeing off Laois in Parnell Park this afternoon.
Con O’Callaghan again starred for Dessie Farrell’s side as he struck 0-5 but it was Colm Basquel, fresh from Ballyboden St-Enda’s All-Ireland club final win on Thursday, who made a major impact when hitting 1-3 after being sprung from the bench in the second-half.
Chris Sallier netted in the first-half for Dublin who now advance to play Kildare in the final on 30 March.
Laois had goals from Evan O’Carroll and Tom Shiel in either half but they could not halt a stronger Dublin side.
Both teams finished with 14 men as Laois player Brian Daly and Dublin forward Tom Lahiff were shown straight red cards for separate incidents in the third quarter.
Dublin were ahead 1-8 to 1-4 at the interval. They struck four points without reply in the opening ten minutes as they exploded out of the blocks.
Laois got a boost when Evan O’Carroll, their most threatening forward, cut in from the right wing to knife through the Dublin defence before shooting to the net off his left in the 16th minute.
Dublin’s response was clinical a minute later as they netted courtesy of Chris Sallier and they were worth their four-point advantage at the break.
The second-half began in fiery fashion with the dismissals by referee Fergal Smyth but it was the 37th minute introduction of Basquel for Michael Deegan, shown a black card after the incident involving Daly, that proved crucial.
Basquel hit the net in the 42nd minute after he had exchanged passes with Sean McMahon and then kicked a point to put Dublin 2-10 to 1-5 clear.
Laois kept fighting to the end but they only scored 1-1 in the second-half with Shiel firing home their second goal in the 46th minute.
That left them trailing 2-10 to 2-5 before Dublin took over to bang over seven points without reply and close out the match. Martin Cahilan, Basquel (2), McMahon, O’Callaghan, Lorcan Molloy and Glenn O’Reilly all raised white flags to seal their triumph.
Scorers for Dublin: Colm Basquel 1-3, Con O’Callaghan 0-5 (0-3f), Chris Sallier 1-1, Glenn O’Reilly 0-3, Martin Cahilan 0-2, Michael Deegan, Sean McMahon, Lorcan Molloy (0-1 ’45) 0-1 each.
Scorers for Laois: Evan O’Carroll 1-2 (0-1f), Tom Shiel 1-1, Nigel Murphy, Michael Keogh 0-1 each.
Dublin
1. Lorcan Molloy (St Annes)
17. Declan Monaghan (Clontarf)
6. Sean McMahon (Raheny)
4. Eoin Smith (Skerries Harps)
3. Martin Cahilan (Cuala)
12. Cillian O’Shea (Kilmacud Crokes)
21. Brian Howard (Raheny)
8. Andy Foley (Clontarf)
9. Killian Deeley (Na Fianna)
10. Tom Lahiff (St Judes)
14. Con O’Callaghan (Cuala)
5. Glenn O’Reilly (Na Fianna)
24. Chris Sallier (Thomas Davis)
7. Darragh Spillane (Cuala)
11. Michael Deegan (Donaghmore-Ashbourne)
Subs
19. Colm Basquel (Ballyboden St-Enda’s) for Deegan (black card) (37)
2. Shane Clayton (Ballyboden St-Enda’s) for Deeley (black card) (46)
22. Eoin Murchan (Na Fianna) for Spillane (48)
25. Sean Cleary (Lucan Sarsfields) for Sallier (54)
20. Donal McIlgorm (Skerries Harps) for Foley (55)
18. Jack Mullins (St Brigid’s) for O’Callaghan (61)
Laois
1. Aaron Cooney (St Joseph’s)
2. Liam Knowles (Stradbally)
7. Patrick O’Sullivan (Portarlington)
3. Adam Campion (St Joseph’s)
4. Eoin Buggie (Stradbally)
5. Trevor Collins (Graiguecullen)
9. Daniel O’Reilly (Graiguecullen)
6. Robbie Dowling (The Heath)
11. Evan O’Carroll (Crettyard)
12. Nigel Murphy (Emo)
8. Brian Daly (Barrowhouse)
10. Danny Hickey (St Joseph’s)
13. Michael Keogh (St Joseph’s)
14. Eoin Lowry (Killeshin – captain)
15. Sean Moore (Ballyfin)
Subs
18. Tom Shiel (Stradbally) for Moore (black card) (24)
20. Colm Murphy (Portarlington) for Dowling (44)
21. Evin Keane (The Heath) for Murphy (inj) (56)
19. Dylan Doyle (Barrowhouse) for O’Carroll (61)
Referee: Fergal Smyth (Offaly)
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