UNDER-21 LEINSTER SEMI-FINALS/Westmeath 0-14 Laois 0-11: WESTMEATH QUALIFIED for the provincial decider with a deserved three-point win at Cusack Park, Mullingar, yesterday afternoon.
The sides were tied at 0-6 apiece in the dying moments of the first half when Laois counter-attacked to take the lead from a Paul Cahillane free.
Laois had just gone 0-10 to 0-9 ahead when Adam Ryan was sent off with nine minutes gone in the second half and the nip-and-tuck nature of the game continued and the sides were on level terms at the midpoint of the half, 0-11 each.
However, Westmeath finished the stronger with an outstanding point from James Durkan, another from a Conor Lynam free and a fisted point in injury-time from the industrious Paul Sharry.
WESTMEATH: D Quinn; B Moran, K Maguire, R Doyle; G Egan, K Martin, J Dolan; D Corroon (0-1), J Heslin (0-1, free); P Sharry (0-2), J Egan (0-1), C Lynam (0-1, free); I Coffey (0-6, five frees), C McCormack (0-1), J Durkan (0-1). Subs: T Mescall for Moran (25 mins), L Smyth for Durkan (50 mins), T McDaniel for Coffey (62 mins).
LAOIS: J Dunphy; R Kehoe, J Mulhare, D Browne; C Booth, K Lillis, C Boyle; B Glynn, D Kingston (0-5, one sideline, two frees); A Ryan (0-1), J Booth, B Smith (0-1); P Cahillane (0-4, three frees), G Walsh, E Kelly. Subs: J Finn for Walsh (22 mins), J Doyle for J Booth (half-time), S George for Doyle (53 mins), S Kearney for Mulhare (54 mins).
Referee: F Kelly (Longford).
