Laois 1-15
Offaly 0-6
LAOIS ARE THROUGH to their first Leinster minor football final since 2007 after a 1-15 to 0-6 win over Offaly in O’Moore Park, Portlaoise this evening.
It is also the first time the county have progressed this far since they last won the competition nine years ago.
Evan Lowry scored the second-half goal that sealed victory in a convincing win for his side.
Three Diarmaid Whelan frees had put Laois in command in the first half, though points from Cian Johnson and Shane O’Brien reduced the deficit to one point, with the hosts leading 0-4 to 0-3 at half-time.
Laois took control after the break, however, with points from Alan Kinsella, Adam Deering (2) and Sean Byrne widening the gap to five points.
Cian O’Neill got one back for the visitors, before two points apiece from Whelan and Deering made a difficult task start to look impossible, as Laois established an eight-point advantage with nine minutes remaining.
Lowry then put the icing on the cake with a goal in the dying minutes to ensure his team earned a memorable win.
Meanwhile, Offaly’s 27-year wait for a Leinster title continues, with the county last reaching the final of the competition in 2010.
In addition, Laois will discover the identity of their opponents in the final tomorrow night, as Meath face Kildare in the second Leinster semi-final in Navan at 7.30pm
The42 is on Snapchat! Tap the button below on your phone to add!
