Laois withstood a late fight-back by Galway at Longford on Saturday to reach the All-Ireland under-21 football championship final.
With five minutes to go Laois led by four points but Galway came storming back and Derek Savage, Brian Moran and Padraig Joyce reduced the deficit to the minimum. However, the Laois defence held out and avoided the embarrassment of being outmanoeuvred by 14-man Galway, who had Seamus Cloherty sent off.
Laois posed the greater threat up front with Ian Fitzgerald, Chris Conway and Brian McDonald picking off some great points.
Laois: D O'Mahony; J Kehoe, M Buggy, J Higgins; N Collins, D Conroy, C Parkinson; M Delaney (0-1), N Garvan; G Ramsbottom, I Fitzgerald (0-5), C Conway (0-4); B McDonald (0-2), D Doogue (0-1), K Fitzpatrick. Sub: S Kelly for Conroy.
Galway: D Corbett; J Killeen, K Newell, R Fahy; E Daly, D Divilly, N Connolly; M Donnellan, D Keneally; S Conlisk (1-0), M Colleran, S Cloherty; D Savage (0-1), P Joyce (0-4), C Donnellan (0-1). Subs: B Moran (0-3) for Keneally, N Meehan for Colleran. John O'Shaughnessy - Limerick NB
