Dublin 2-21 Laois 2-10
Dublin arrived in Portlaoise as reigning provincial and All-Ireland champions.

Three years ago at minor level, in four Leinster championship games their smallest winning margin was 11 points when they knocked out Kildare in Newbridge.

In contrast their Laois counterparts lost to Wicklow and Longford so the visitors were warm favourites for a place in the last four..

Eleven of the starting line up had All-Ireland minor medals and a number of others picked up under-21 medals last year.

However Laois matched them for three-quarters of the game after Dublin began well and eased in front 0-5 to 0-1 after ten minutes.

Laois battled back and after two goals at either end, from Killian O’Gara for Dublin and then Alan Farrell for Laois, the midlanders took the lead five minutes before the break when a great passing movement ended with Tom Shiel driving high into the Dublin net.

However Dublin responded and points by Niall Scully saw them back in the lead 1-11 to 2-5.

Laois began the second half in style landing four great points by Evin O’Carroll, Tom Shiel and Paul Kingston but then they hit three very bad wides.

That allowed the champions recover and Dublin hit back with a succession of points as the home team tired.

The champions lost Niall Scully to a black card but it mattered little and a succession of points by the excellent Conor McHugh, Killian O’Gara and a late goal by midfielder Shane Carthy gave the scoreboard a one- sided appearance.

Laois never gave up but they were running out of steam and Dublin emptied the bench full of All-Ireland medallists.

They remain warm favourites to retain their Leinster crown although their ,management may be a little concerned at how Laois opened their defence up at times in the periods just before and after the interval.

LAOIS:

A O’Reilly; L Knowles, K Lennon, C Dunne; P O’Sullivan, C Hogan, D O’Reilly (0-1); E O’Carroll (0-3), A Farrell (1-0); P Kingston (0-1), J Moore, N Murphy; E Keane (0-1), E Lowry (0-2), T Shiels (1-2).Subs: R Fennell for Dunne (54 mins), D Hickey for Farrell (55 mins), E Buggy for C Hogan (57 mins).

DUBLIN: L Molloy; E Mullan, D Byrne, E McGowan; E Lowndes (0-1), C Mullally, E Murchin (0-1); S Cunnigham, S Carthy (1-0); R Gaughan, M Deegan (0-2), N Scully (0-5); K O’Gara (1-5), C McHugh (0-6), C Basquel (0-2).

Subs:

S Cunningham for N Scully (BC , 50 mins), S Clayton for C Basquel (53 mins), G Burke for S Cunningham (56mins).

Referee:

Stephen Murphy (Louth).

Meath 1-10 Westmeath 1-8

Eamon Wallace crowned his competitive comeback with 1-2 as Meath battled their way to the last four.

The speedy forward hadn’t started a match since suffering cruciate knee ligament damage against Louth in last year’s U-21 championship.

But he teamed up with free-taker Ruairí Ó Coileáin for 1-9 of Meath’s overall tally to seal a March 18th clash with Offaly or Kildare. But it was hardly vintage football from Meath who lost senior midfielder Harry Rooney and former minor star Paddy Kennelly to injury before throw-in.

As minors Meath reached the All-Ireland final. But they had a terrible Hastings Cup campaign earlier this year and found the going difficult early on at Páirc Tailteann too.

They led briefly in the first-half when Wallace shot his 1-2 in a four minute spell. But 1-2 from Westmeath’s Ray Connellan gave them a narrow 1-5 to 1-4 half-time lead.

Shane Dempsey’s fourth point of the game put the visitors two clear after the restart.

But five Ó Coileáin points on the trot, three from frees, put Meath in command at 1-9 to 1-6. They lived dangerously late on but sub Oisín Reilly kicked the insurance point as Westmeath had Ryan Caffrey dismissed near the end.

Longford 1-17 Louth 1-4

Longford advanced to the semi-finals for the third year in a row with 13 points to spare over Louth. Dublin now await Longford in the semi-finals. The Dubs defeated them at this stage last year but Longford were the last side to beat Dublin at this grade, surprising them in Parnell Park in 2013.

The midland side dominated most of the game and rarely looked in trouble. Louth did cut the gap to four points in the 39th minute with a goal from Conor Grimes but that was to be their final score of the game .

Points from Rory Connor and Larry Moran put Longford ahead by six in the 48th minute and three minutes later Liam Connerton found the back of the net.

Connerton fired over another two points (one free) with Moran and David McGivney (free) adding on late points.

Longford took control of proceedings from the start and were 0-8 to 0-2 up at the break. Louth’s points came from the boot of Ryan Burns (both frees)

Longford goalkeeper Colm Farrell was beaten in the early stages of the second half but it was only a blip in an otherwise fine Longford performance.