Laois minors fall just short in All-Ireland semi-final

Laois missed out on a place in the All-Ireland minor football championship final after defeat to Westmeath on Saturday afternoon in Tullamore.

FINAL SCORE: Laois 1-14 Westmeath 4-12

 Ger Slevin's side were the better team for large parts of the game, but two goals at the end of the first half and 1-3 in the closing moments of the game meant Westmeath took the victory.

It was two points apiece after ten minutes, with Ultan Dunne and Darren Brennan pointing for Laois, and James McHugh and Mikey Weir for Westmeath. Laois were on top after that, kicking four of the next five scores, including three from Dunne and a beauty from Seán Michael Ward.

McHugh pointed two frees in reply before Laois raised the game's first green flag when Dunne played in Calum McElroy who finished well.

But the game turned on its head three minutes before the break, when Laois goalkeeper, Liam Conroy brought down William Scahill. The Westmeath forward took the responsibility himself and duly converted.

The sides then swapped a point each, but Scahill grabbed a second goal for his team, fisting the ball into the top corner after a good ball inside from Andrew Henson.

That left Westmeath ahead at half time by 2-5 to 1-7, but it could have been much worse had it not been for the eight wides kicked by Eoghan Kevlihan's side.

Laois started brightly after the break with Dunne pointing twice early on. The O'Dempsey's man was incredible all afternoon, kicking 0-11 off five frees.

But Westmeath hit a serious purple patch after that, scoring 1-3 without reply to go five points clear, including a well-taken goal from Cormac McKeogh. Laois came storming back after that, with Ultan Dunne kicking four points on the bounce.

The sides traded scores after that to leave just one point between them with five minutes left on the clock. Unfortunately, as they did just before half time, Westmeath again finished extremely well, adding 1-3 in the closing stages.

The impressive James McHugh raised the green flag that proved to be the nail in Laois’s coffin as Westmeath advance. They will play the winners of Leitrim and Down in the other semi-final.

SCORERS - Laois: Ultan Dunne 0-11 (five frees), Calum McElroy 1-0, Darren Brennan, Seán Michael Ward and Ennae Byrne 0-1 each. Westmeath: William Scahill 2-1, James McHugh 1-5 (0-2 frees), Cormac McKeogh 1-0, Jack Carroll 0-3, Mikey Weir 0-2, Daire O'Brien 0-1.

LAOIS: Liam Conroy (Portlaoise); Jack Murphy (Portarlington), Ben O'Connor (Portlaoise), Fionn O'Sullivan (Crettyard); Hugh Connolly (Portarlington), Tom Corcoran (Portarlington), Jack Julian (Ballylinan); Robbie Murphy (St Joseph's), Ruairí Bourke (Emo); Calum McElroy (Arles-Kilcruise), Ultan Dunne (O'Dempsey's), Seán Michael Ward (Portarlington); Paddy Murray (Portarlington), Ennea Byrne (Arles-Killeen), Darren Brennan (Portlaoise). Subs: Conor O'Callaghan (Portlaoise) for Julian (42), Jack Ó Dea (Ballyroan-Abbey) for McElroy (48), Sean Rowan (St Joseph's) for Corcoran (58).

WESTMEATH: Adam Buckley; Ben Sheerin, Cian Whitney, Daire Burke; Ty Masterson, Adam Smyth, Jack Carroll; Mikey Weir, Daire O'Brien; Andrew Henson, Darragh Lough, Cormac McKeogh; James McHugh, Ryan Flynn, William Scahill. Subs: Michael Moloney for Burke (42, inj), Paul Keating for McKeogh (51), Sean Byrne for Smyth (61).

REFEREE: Kevin Williamson (Offaly)