Kildare up next as goal-hungry Laois knock Offaly out of the Leinster Championship

The Laois senior footballers are through to the quarter-finals of this year's Leinster Football Championship after they had too much for Offaly in Glenisk O'Connor Park Tullamore on Saturday evening.

Most of Laois' good work was done in the first half as they racked up 2-7 and led by five points at half-time. The second half wasn't quite as exciting with Laois going 21 minutes without a score, having also gone 10 minutes without a score in the first half too. They'll now travel to Newbridge next Sunday to take on Kildare in the last eight.

Laois wasted little time in getting the first point as Evan O'Carroll swung the ball over after 40 seconds to a great roar from the strong travelling Laois support. That roar got even greater when O'Carroll's two-point effort hit the post and dropped onto the fist of Kevin Swayne and into the back of the Offaly net. Offaly's first score came from a Dyland Hyland 45' before Rioghan Murphy opened his account down the other end for Laois. Offaly's second point also came from the boot of Hyland.

A second Laois goal then arrived as Paddy O'Sullivan and Ronan Coffey combined to set up Ciaran Burke to fist the ball past Conor Melia. Laois went 2-3 to 0-2 ahead after 15 minutes when Conor Heffernan broke down an Offaly kick-out, and it ended with Coffey raising a white flag.

Laois went 10 minutes without a score as Offaly started to get a foothold of the game, but could only get three points in that time. Lee Pearson was tackled within four metres of taking a solo and go, which prompted referee Paul Faloon to bring the ball forward 50 metres. Hyland stepped up and nailed the two-pointer from the free. Jordan Hayes got the other Offaly point as Laois led 2-3 to 0-5. Offaly almost had a goal when Rory Egan looked to be about to get a fist on the ball at the back post, but Brian Byrne got there first to fist the ball away from Egan's path.

It was O'Carroll who ended that 10-minute spell for Laois with Keith O'Neill getting a point in reply for Offaly. A decisive burst before half-time saw Laois score three points in 90 seconds. O'Carroll began that run by superbly dispossessing Diarmuid Egan and putting the ball between the posts. Laois won the next kick-out and it ended with Rob Tyrrell getting his name on the scoresheet. Another restart went Laois' way and it saw O'Carroll end the half with four points.

O'Neill and Cormac Egan got a point each for Offaly, but down the other end, Laois could have had a third goal when Evan O'Carroll's shot was saved by Melia. Laois led 2-7 to 0-8 at the break.

Laois had the game sewn up without five minutes of the restart as Coffey pointed before Byrne played in Simon Fingleton for a goal, a man not known for his goal-scoring! Paul Kingston was introduced at half-time and almost got a goal for himself, but saw his shot saved by Melia. He possibly could have had a penalty as it looked he was fouled while striking. Offaly managed three points in a row from Hyland (free), Diarmuid Egan and Harry Plunkett. It wasn't for the lack of trying on Offaly's part as they were getting shots off, but couldn't find the target.

Laois finally ended a spell of 21 minutes without a score since Fingleton's goal when Pa Kirwan came off the bench to score. Kingston then pointed before O'Carroll did likewise as Laois led by nine points with 62 minutes played. The game fizzled out for the remainder with only two more points scored. Marcas Dalton pointed for Offaly, while Kingston pointed Laois' only free just as the hooter sounded in Tullamore.

Laois will make the short trip to Newbridge next Sunday to face Kildare in the quarter-finals of the Leinster Championship.

SCORERS- Laois: Evan O'Carroll 0-5, Ciaran Burke, Kevin Swayne and Simon Fingleton 1-0 each, Ronan Coffey and Paul Kingston (0-1 free) 0-2 each, Rob Tyrrell, Rioghan Murphy and Pa Kirwan 0-1 each. Offaly: Dylan Hyland 0-5 (one two-point free), Keith O'Neill 0-2, Jordan Hayes, Diarmuid Egan, Harry Plunkett, Marcas Dalton and Cormac Egan 0-1 each.

LAOIS: Killian Roche (Killeshin); Jack Lacey (St Joseph's), Trevor Collins (Graiguecullen), Alex Mohan (Portarlington); Paddy O'Sullivan (Portarlington), Brian Byrne (Captain) (Graiguecullen), Simon Fingleton (Park-Ratheniska); Ciaran Burke (Crettyard), Conor Heffernan (Killeshin); Kevin Swayne (Portlaoise), Ronan Coffey (Portarlington), Rioghan Murphy (Portarlington); Ciaran Burke (Crettyard), Daragh Galvin (Portarlington), Evan O'Carroll (Crettyard). Subs: Paul Kingston (Arles-Killeen) for Galvin (HT), Pa Kirwan (Emo) for Coffey (55 mins), Aaron McEvoy (Ballyroan-Abbey) for O'Sullivan and Niall Corbet (Clonaslee St Manman's) for Swayne (Both 61 mins), Mikie Dempsey (St Joseph's) for Tyrrell (62 mins)

OFFALY: Conor Melia; Shane O'Toole-Greene, David Dempsey, Lee Pearson; Cormac Egan, Diarmuid Egan, Aidan Bracken; Jack McEvoy, Jordan Hayes; Daire McDaid, Keith O'Neill, Rory Egan: Dylan Hyland, Shane Tierney, Darragh Flynn. Subs: Marcas Dalton for Bracken (HT), Harry Plunkett for Tierney and Jack Byrant for Flynn (42 mins), Kyle Higgins for McDaid (52 mins), Conor Dunican for C Egan (67 mins)

Referee: Paul Faloon (Down)