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Dublin 1-20 Laois 2-15
A strange evening for Dublin at Parnell Park when they began their Leinster SHC campaign with almost as many wides as scores.
They won, of course, and while manager Mattie Kenny publicly rued the 18 wides they struck over the 70 or so minutes, insisting a significant improvement will be required down in Wexford next weekend, privately he may simply put it down to opening-night nerves.
Even Donal Burke, for all of the excellence he showed in amassing a 0-13 haul, was guilty of striking four of those wides, though at least they held on for the win. Back in 2019, they weren’t quite as lucky when Laois pulled off a memorable All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final victory over the Sky Blues.
Aside from Burke, Kenny can thank substitutes Alex Considine and Paul Crummey for making sure they didn’t leave this win behind them.
Considine scored Dublin’s goal just moments after coming on in the 62nd minute, putting them five points ahead and when Crummey was brought on and similarly pointed after feeling the weight of the sliotar for the first time, the margin was out to seven points.
It was a cushion that Dublin relied upon because Laois threw everything at them in the closing minutes.
Firstly, James Keyes pointed, then goalkeeper Enda Rowland smashed a free to the net, and the dust had barely settled when PJ Scully hit his eighth point of the evening.
Suddenly, it was a two-point game again and Dublin found themselves in containment mode, funnelling blue bodies back behind the ball and breathing sighs of relief when Rowland failed to convert a second late free that was presented to him.

Dublin’s Cian O’Callaghan gets a shot away during the Leinster SHC match against Laois at Parnell Park. Photograph: Ben Whitley/Inpho


For Laois, this will go down as a great chance missed to score a rare win in the Leinster championship. As if to emphasise the size of their task in this season’s MacCarthy Cup competition, they will head to Kilkenny and Nowlan Park next weekend.
They led 1-7 to 0-9 at half-time though were fortunate to be ahead as 11 wides badly undermined Dublin’s challenge.
A crossfield wind seemed to play havoc with Dublin’s shooters and Burke, Fergal Whitely, Davy Keogh and Danny Sutcliffe all struck wide of the posts.
A high free-count in Dublin’s favour – 14 to seven in the first half – at least allowed the 2021 Leinster finalists to gain some traction through Burke’s conversions, though Mark Dowling’s 10th-minute goal for Laois gave them a vital foothold in response.
Burke struck two more wides early in the second half before showing impressive resolve to reel off three points from play in the subsequent minutes.
The third of those scores put Dublin two points ahead for the first time, 0-13 to 1-8, and while it was far from vintage, it was effective enough as they began to turn the screw.
The Considine and Crummey substitutions worked a treat and a two-point lead became a five-point lead, became a seven-point lead. Laois looked done for. Cheddar Plunkett’s side refused to throw in the towel though and if they continue to show this sort of determination, they might just pick up a win somewhere along the line in this Leinster championship.
DUBLIN: S Brennan; J Bellew, E O’Donnell, C O’Callaghan; J Madden (0-1), P Smyth, D Ryan; C Burke, C Crummey (0-1); D Sutcliffe, D Keogh, D Burke (0-13, seven frees); R Hayes (0-1), F Whitely (0-3), E Dillon.
Subs: A Mellett for Keogh (35-71 mins, blood), A Considine (1-0) for Dillon (61), P Crummey (0-1) for Sutcliffe (68), S Barrett for Smyth (69), Mellett for D Burke (71).
LAOIS: E Rowland (1-2, 1-2 frees); D Hartnett, S Downey, P Delaney; R Mullaney, L O’Connell, C McEvoy; FC Fennell, J Kelly; C Dwyer (0-1), P Purcell, J Keyes (0-2); R King (0-1), PJ Scully (0-8, five frees, one sidelinel), M Dowling (1-0).
Subs: A Corby (0-1) for King (49 mins), P Dunne for Delaney (56), B McGinley for Dowling (63), C Byrne for Dwyer (70).
Referee: L Gordon (Galway).