Goals, when you can get enough of them, make up for a multitude of shortcomings and can punish opponents for wayward shooting. All-Ireland minor football champions Laois scored the goals, and Mayo can feel that they threw away their chances of reaching this year's minor final after this semi-final on a drenched pitch at Croke Park yesterday.

A total of 18 wides for the Connacht champions against five for the Leinster youths tells its own story.

There will be doubts galore in the Laois camp about this team's ability to create a territorial edge as the final against Kerry or Tyrone looms large in their minds.

There will, however, be little doubt as to the ability of Brian McDonald and Kieran Kelly to take goal chances.

Nor will there be doubts about the potential of wing back John Paul Kehoe to inspire his colleagues with hunger for possession and effective use of it.

The Laois goals were urgently needed to demoralise opponents who kept shooting themselves in the foot whenever faced with good scoring opportunities.

Laois can only hope that when their forward line is returned to what it was intended to be yesterday, opposing defenders will not be given the scope, as Mayo were, to get ahead of their markers and join the attack.

Laois full forward Tom Kelly and left corner forward Garry Kavanagh did not line out at the start because of injury. Kelly, however, did enter the fray late in the second half when the team was being put under great pressure.

The attack was reshuffled and Stephen Kelly, despite being marked by one of Mayo's defensive pillars in Paul Navin, did well as attack leader.

McDonald, who was named in the original team at right wing forward, was moved to full forward, with Shane Hennessy moving to left half forward.

Kieran Kelly had perhaps Laois's most important goal with 10 minutes remaining, just after Mayo had reduced the deficit to a single point with wind advantage.

McDonald's first half goal strikes enabled Laois to lead by 2-3 to 1-4 at half-time.

Ger Brady from Ballina Stephenites, a brother of senior player David Brady, was highly impressive at full back for the losers.