Laois 0-21 Wicklow 1-11
Laois have set themselves up with a glamour clash against All-Ireland champions Dublin after easing past Wicklow in the drizzling rain at Aughrim – their seven-point winning margin hardly reflecting their dominance in the end.
Wicklow did stay in touch for long stages, and were actually level at the break thanks to a first half goal from Paul Cunningham, but a string of scores from Ross Munnelly, who finished with 0-9, and also Donie Kingston and John O'Loughlin was too much for the Wicklow men to handle.
There was a significant break just after half-time when one of the spectators among the crowd of 3,200 fell ill, but Laois soon kicked on, scoring six points without reply in a purple patch that suggested it might not be all one-way traffic when they travel to Croke Park to play Dublin on June 8th.
Laois: G Brody; P McMahon, P Begley, P O'Leary; D Strong (0-2 one 45), S Attride, R Kehoe; K Meaney (0-1), J O'Loughlin (0-3); J Finn, C Meredith, B Sheehan; D Kingston (0-6, four frees), R Munnelly (0-9, five frees), D Conway. Subs: E Costello for Finn (half time), E O'Carroll for Conway (57 mins), P Kingston for D Kingston (70 mins)
Wicklow: R Lambert; P McLoughlin, A Byrne, A Murphy; D Healy, P McWalter, K Murphy; J Stafford, A McLoughlin; F Finn (0-3), M Kenny, D Hayden; L Glynn (0-3, two frees), S Furlong (0-4, all frees), P Cunningham (1-0). Subs: C McGraynor (0-1) for Kenny (43 mins), P Dalton for Cunningham (63 mins), N Gaffney for Hayden (67 mins).
Referee: R Hickey (Clare)
