Laois Minor footballers end Leinster group stages with defeat to neighbours Kildare

Laois have been beaten in their final group game of this year's Leinster Minor Football Championship as Kildare produced a stellar performance in the second-half to take the points in Laois Hire O'Moore Park this evening.

It's not yet known if Laois will qualify from the group stages as they await the result from the Offaly and Longford game which takes place tomorrow evening. Laois will be hoping for an Offaly win as that would secure third-place and a preliminary quarter-final.

Kildare 0-18

Laois 0-10

Leinster Minor Football Championship Group 1 Round 3

The early passages of the game were evenly contested with Kildare getting the game's opening score courtesy of Joey Cunningham. Laois would soon have their first point of the contest as Ennae Byrne split the posts from play. Kildare built up a head of steam as Tadhg Donlan fired over before Liam O'Connor bore down on goal with Liam Conroy standing tall to thwart the Kildare effort.

Laois responded well as they pointed the next two scores as Darren Brennen pointed a 45' and a free to push Conor Gorman's side ahead. Kildare replied with two points of their own as Rob Murray dissected the posts from play while Cunningham pointed his second point from a placed ball.

The next two scores would be traded as Brennan got his third point as he scored from play while Cunningham tapped over another free. Laois would get the next two scores with two placed balls as Byrne pointed a free with Eoin Johnson following suit. There was a further two points before half-time with both sides raising a white flag each. Jack McCabe pointed for Kildare while Byrne pointed his second score as Laois led by the narrowest of margins at the break.

Kildare came flying out of the blocks in the second-half as they pointed four times by the time the clock reached the 37th minute. Goalkeeper Cathal Moore pointed two frees with Cunningham and Harry Redmond both scoring from play. Laois got their first score of the half after 10 minutes as James Dunne pointed superbly. McCabe, Redmond and a 45' from Moore pushed Kildare into a five-point lead, one that they would relinquish. Donlan tagged one another score for the Lilywhites.

Ben Ryan and Johnson (free) raised white flags for their sides with Cunningham another score for Kildare with his fourth point of the contest and his third from frees. There was time for three further scores as Jack Brennan pointed for Laois while Evan Boyle and Ryan pointed for the away side. Kildare running out comfortable eight-point winners in the end.