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Colm Carr Captains Dublin Minor Footballers to Leinster Champo Win Over Laois - Tue, 26 May 2009

Congrats to Colm Carr(above - captain of the Dublin Minors), Naill O?Dea, Philip Ryan, Kevin Twomey & the Dublin Minor Footballers on their win over Laois. Despite tallying 18 wides, the lads advance to the Semi-Finals of Leinster where they will face Offaly on June 27th in Tullamore. Collie scored 0-2 from play while Naill O'Dea came on in extra time.

Dublin 0-14 Laois 1-10 (after extra-time)

Dublin-Laois clashes have provided plenty of tense, dramatic exchanges in recent times and this Leinter MFC quarter-final at Nh Mearnóg on Saturday offered more of the same. A Darragh Stapleton free in the third minute of injury-time in normal time, after the pacey Gary Sweeney was fouled, forced extra-time. Again at the end of the first period of extra-time the counties were still deadlocked, 0-11 to 1-8, after Sweeney had used his pace well to fist Dublin into the lead before a Rory OConnor free brought the OMoore County back on level terms. However, Dublin finally broke open the game in the third second period of extra-time when Paul Hudson converted a free after the hard-working Fergal Breathnach was fouled.

Three minutes later Laois centre-back Seán George was dismissed on a second yellow card. Dublin stretched their advantage to two points when tall full-forward Daithi O Murchu fisted a free from the influential Gerry Seaver over the bar. In a solid Dublin defensive performance Seaver and fellow wing-back Seán Swords were particularly impressive with one block by Seaver in the final minutes of normal time denying Laois a point. Goalkeeper David Downey also did very well in the 52nd minute to field a point effort from Laois wing-forward Barry Kelly which looked to be clearing the crossbar.

In the second period of extra time Dublin might have had a goal when Breathnach was through one-on-one with Laois keeper Dermot Kelly but hit his shot at the St Josephs man who parried it out 45 which midfielder Ciarán Reddin impressively pointed for the Dubs to move 0-14 to 1-8 clear. Laois rallied at the finish with points from corner-back Adam Ryan and an OConnor free but time ran out as the Dubs progress to the provincial semi-final. In the first period of normal time Dublin got off to a good start with Hudson on the mark on three occasions (one free). The Dubs also had a goal opportunity in the seventh minute but Stapleton close range effort was blocked.

However, disaster struck for Dublin in the tenth minute when a curling point effort from James Finn caught the angle of the crossbar and post and flew into the net and by the half-time interval Dublin led 0-8 to 1-4 after playing with wind advantage. Dublin face Offaly in Tullamore on June 27 in the Leinster semi-final while Meath and Kildare clash in the other semi. Offaly defeated Wicklow 3-13 to 2-11 on Saturday and had earlier in the competition come through the qualifier route by beating Longford (4-12 to 1-6) and Louth (1-15 to 0-16) after losing to Meath (0-18 to 1-11, after extra-time) in their opening game.

Scorers - Dublin: P Hudson 0-5 (0-3f), D Stapleton 0-4 (0-3f), C Carr 0-2, C Reddin (0-1 45), D O Murchu 0-1 each. Laois: B Kelly 0-4 (0-4f), J Finn 1-1, R OConnor 0-3 (0-2f), E Malone (0-1 45), A Ryan 0-1.

Dublin - D Downey; A Carr, F Carney, M Schutte; S Swords, J Kelly, G Seaver; C Reddin, E Keogh; F Breathnach, G Sweeney, P Hudson; C Diamond, D Stapleton, C Carr.

Subs: C O Brien for Diamond (39), D O Murchu for O Brien (59), N ODea for Carr (75).

Laois - D Kelly; D Mullally, K Booth, A Ryan; J Bolton, S George, K Delaney; S Nerney, E Malone; B Hickey, J Finn, B Kelly; D Byrne, R OConnor, S McAuley.

Subs: D OConnor for Byrne (39), C Fallon for Hickey (45), R Bracken for Nerney (70), S ONeill for McAuley (77), S Murphy for Bolton (78).

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