Gutsy Laois minor footballers fall just short against Dublin in Leinster Championship

Joe Larkin's Laois minor footballers suffered their second defeat this year's Leinster Championship as Dublin had two points to spare over them in Parnell Park on Thursday evening.

Laois will feel that they should have gotten something out of the game and when Ultan Dunne raised a green flag to put Laois ahead in the 35th minute, they'd have hoped to push on but that never came as The Dubs got a goal of their own a minute later.

Dublin 1-9

Laois 1-7

Laois almost got off to the worst possible start when Finn McGinnis' shot looked to have been dropped into the net by Conor Dunne, but the Portlaoise goalkeeper recovered well to scoop the ball off the line. Dublin's Jamie Heavey got the game's first point a few seconds later as he slotted over a 45'. Laois' first point was superb in its making, as a great pass from Sean Rowan found the hands of Ultan Dunne, and he turned his marker to split the posts.

Dunne had an opportunity to score from a two-point free but his effort went to the right of the Dublin goal. McGinnis opened his account for The Dubs before another effort from Dunne hit the upright when it looked to be going between the posts. Dublin got the next two points courtesy of Caoilinn O'Connell and Ryan Ennis.

Laois' reply came in the form of a great team score off the boot of Bobby Rowan. Dan Downey came off the bench after 23 minutes to replace the injured Fionn O'Sullivan, and the Park-Ratheniska forward got his hands on the ball immediately as he won a Dublin kick-out and slipped the ball to Sean Michael Ward. The Portarlington player pointed to cut Dublin's lead to a single point. The half ended with the sides trading scores as Mobarack Salami scored for Dublin while Dunne raised his second white flag of the first-half for Laois. Dublin went into the dressing rooms ahead, 0-5 to 0-4.

Ciaran Clifford got the second-half's scoring underway with a well-taken score from play. Then came the aforementioned Ultan Dunne goal as a superb floated kick-pass from Joe Larkin found Dunne in the square, and he fisted the ball into the Dublin net. Dunne's goal put Laois ahead for the first time, but their lead was short-lived as Dublin replied with a point and a goal within a minute. Clifford got his second point of the contest before Mobarack Salami drilled the ball past Conor Dunne in the Laois goal.

Sean Rowan got Laois back to within a single point of The Dubs as he scored from play and a free. Heavey's second point for Dublin and a point from Laois captain Mark O'Connor set up an exciting finish, with Laois hoping to create an opportunity to level the game or raise an orange flag and leave Parnell Park with a famous victory. It wasn't to be however, as Laois were penalised for not keeping three players in the Dublin half. That allowed Salami step-up and point a free from the 21-metre line to seal a two-point victory.

Laois will take on Offaly on Tuesday, April 15, in a winner-takes-all clash, as both sides have lost their first two games, with the third-placed team qualifying for a preliminary quarter-final.