Under-21 FC Leinster Quarter-finals: Kildare will play Longford and Laois will meet Westmeath in the Leinster under-21 football championship semi-finals.

With wins over Dublin in the first round and Meath - 2-13 to 1-8 - on Saturday, Kildare have installed themselves as favourites to win their second title in three years.

They always looked like winning at Newbridge and the home side led 1-6 to 0-6 at the break - Mark Scanlon finding the net. Scores were scarce for Meath in the second half and, by the time Caoimhín King goaled, Kildare were leading by nine points and the game was effectively over.

Longford also advanced, scoring a comprehensive 2-13 to 1-4 victory over a poor Carlow at a sun-kissed Pearse Park in front of only 200 spectators.

The home side led by four points at the interval, the star of the show being Brian Kavanagh, who scored 2-3.

A dubious 14th-minute penalty, dispatched by Colm Kelly, helped Laois over a potential banana skin at Dundalk. The midlanders were never headed after the spot-kick and led by 1-5 to 0-4 at the interval.

In hindsight, they probably didn't expect the stiff test that materialised from Louth in the second half as they turned to play with a strong breeze - eventually prevailing 1-11 to 0-9.

Finally, it was simply a stroll for Westmeath as they gained the most comfortable of victories - 2-10 to 1-2 - over a poor Wexford outfit at Enniscorthy.

With David Duffy and Jeffrey Farrell controlling midfield, it was no surprise they led 1-4 to 0-1 at the interval - the goal struck home by Farrell from 25 metres three minutes before the break. Westmeath's second goal was scored by Fiacra Spellman after 34 minutes.