Young drives Laois into quarter-finals

Leinster SHC Preliminary round two/Laois 1-13 Meath 0-8: Laois, who easily accounted for Carlow in the opening round, scored a comfortable if unimpressive victory over a disappointing Meath team at Portlaoise yesterday

Played before a crowd of fewer than 500 paying customers, Laois did enough in the opening half to guarantee themselves a place in the quarter-finals. James Young, who was to be his side's top scorer, opened the Laois account with a point from a free after just one minute. Stephen Clinch replied for the visitors after five, but that was to be the only time the sides were level in the game.

In the eighth minute Meath goalkeeper Mark Brennan brought off a wonderful save to deny Tommy Fitzgerald a certain goal.

Laois then took complete control to score seven unanswered points, four from the stick of Young and one each from Robert Jones, Tom Fitzgerald and Paul Cuddy from a long-range free.

Twenty minutes into the game Damian Culleton soloed down the left wing and sent a perfect pass to the unmarked Young and he scored the goal.

From there on Meath were struggling, but they never gave up and Mark Gannon had a good point from play after 25 minutes.

But whatever lingering hopes Meath had of a recovery were dashed when centre half back Tom Reilly received a second yellow card and was sent off.

Meath then introduced Mickey Cole and he closed the first-half scoring with two well taken points to leave the score Laois 1-9, Meath 0-4.

Meath came more into the game in the second half but hit two bad wides. A point from Robert Jones put Laois ahead 1-12 to 0-5 at the end of the third quarter.

Meath hit the next three points, but in the final minute Robert Jones sent over his fourth point to put Laois in the quarter-finals with neighbours Offaly.

LAOIS: K Glavin; C Cuddy, Pat Cuddy, M McEvoy; J Fitzpatrick, P Cuddy (0-1), R Conway; D Rooney, J Walsh; R Jones (0-4), J Young (1-6), E Meagher (0-1); T Fitzgerald (0-1), L Tynan, D Culleton. Subs: J Dunne for D Rooney, P Mahon for J Walsh, E Browne for E Meagher, C Brophy for T Fitzgerald.

MEATH: M Brennan; S White, P Roche, S Moran; D Brennan, T Reilly, S Reilly (0-1); J Canty, D Donnelly; E Lynam (0-2), S Clinch (0-1), M Burke; N Reilly, M Gannon (0-1), A Fox. Subs: M Cole (0-3) for M Burke, G O'Neill for A Fox, P Donoghue for S Moran, J Keena for J Canty.

Referee: J Kelly (Wexford)