Dublin 4-18 Laois 0-17
Dublin claimed their first ever Leinster Under-20 Championship following a 13-point victory over Laois in O’Connor Park, Tullamore, on Friday night.
It was an open game of football, which suited the victors. Hat-trick hero Ciaran Archer was outstanding for Dublin.
Dublin scored the opening four points of the game to give themselves a healthy lead with six minutes played, with Karl Lynch Bissett, Sean Lambe, Ross McGarry and Archer finding the target.
Laois responded with two points of their own, before Archer added his second score, though four successive Laois scores, three of which arrived courtesy of Diarmuid Whelan, gave Billy O'Loughlin's side the lead for the first time with 16 minutes played.
Dublin had built up a 0-9 to 0-6 point lead when Archer found the net for the game’s first goal in the 24th minute, after a poor kickout from the Laois goalkeeper, and they held a 1-11 to 0-8 point lead at the interval.
Dublin completely dominated the second half and wing forward Niall O’Leary opened the scoring after the break.
The victors second goal came in the 42nd minute courtesy of Ciaran Archer after Ross McGarry’s shot was saved, and they had a third goal seven minutes later when Kieran Kennedy’s effort found the target.
Laois were then reduced to 14 men in the 52nd minute, when wing-back Colin Slevin was shown a straight red card by the referee leaving O’Loughlin’s side with pride to play for.
Dublin were then awarded a penalty when Peadar O’Cofaigh Byrne was fouled by Eoin Dunne and Archer sent the goalkeeper the wrong way from the resulting spot kick to complete his hat-trick.
Dublin pushed on for a comfortable 13-point victory and will face Connacht champions Galway in the semi-final, while Laois’s season is over following this defeat.
Dublin: D O'Hanlon; D Maher, D Newcome, E O'Dea; K Kennedy (1-0), N Matthews, S Lambe (0-1); P O Cofaigh Byrne, D Ryan; N O'Leary (0-1), K Lynch Bissett (0-1), J Doran (0-3); B O'Leary (0-2), C Archer (3-8, seven frees, one pen), R McGarry (0-2, one free). Subs: D Lacey for Ryan (43 min), H Ladd for B O'Leary (55), A Lynch for Maher (55), C Kinsella for O'Dea (57), M Lavin for O'Leary (60), S Foran for Kennedy (60).
Yellow cards: P O’Cofaigh Byrne
Black cards: K Lynch Bissett
Laois: M Byron; M Dowling, S Lacey, A Mohan; C Slevin, S O'Flynn, D Brophy; R Tyrell, E Dunne (0-1); M Barry (0-2, one free), M Doran (0-1), R Coffey (0-1); A Kinsella (0-2), D McCormack, D Whelan (0-8, six frees). Subs: J Owens (0-1) for Doran (36 min), N Dunne (0-1) for McCormack (38), J Maher for Coffey (48), K Byrne for Lacey (55), R Brennan for Brophy (58), J Lacey for Mohan (58).
Yellow cards: R Tyrell, E Dunne
Red cards: C Slevin
Referee: B Cawley (Kildare)
