Galway are through to the 2015 Leinster hurling final after this resounding 3-28 to 1-14 victory at Tullamore.

The facile 20-point winners had a strong wind at their backs in the first half and stormed into an unassailable 1-18 to 0-2 half-time lead. With two sweepers in front of the Galway full-forward line, Seamus Plunkett's men acquitted themselves well in the first 15 minutes but were outscored by 1-16 to no score in the next 20 minutes to turn around in a hapless position.

Nine Galway players shared the first-half scores, with the entire full-back line on target.

Scores proved hard to come by in a frantic opening quarter. The impressive Paddy Purcell was through for a Laois goal chance in the eighth minute but flashed his shot mere inches over the crossbar to cancel out a fifth-minute Joe Canning '65'. A Canning free in the eleventh minute restored the Tribesmen's lead, 0-2 to 0-1, but Tommy Fitzgerald showed the Galway defence a clean pair of heels to fire over a superb levelling point on the quarter-hour.

Clearly under pressure early on, the red-hot favourites' composure temporarily abandoned them and they were guilty of five poor wides inside the opening quarter of the match - but they led by the odd point from five at the midway stage in the first half thanks to a third Canning strike from a placed ball.

From here, Galway took a vice-like grip on proceedings…

Disaster struck for the O'Moore County when the westerners bagged a rather fortuitous 18th-minute goal: corner back Johnny Coen's long delivery caught in the wind and bounced beyond goalkeeper Eoin Reilly - who was blinded by the sun - to the net.  Galway followed up with quick points from full back John Hanbury, midfielder Andrew Smith and Canning to suddenly lead by seven, 1-6 to 0-2.

David Burke tagged on another point and Padraig Mannion became the third member of the Galway full-back line to register before Cathal Mannion effortlessly popped over the eighth successive score for the rampant Tribe. Reilly executed a magnificent save to deny Cyril Donnellan a second Galway goal, with Canning nonchalantly clipping over the subsequent '65': 1-10 to 0-2.

Niall Healy recorded a brace either side of further points from Canning (3), Padraig Mannion and David Burke as Anthony Cunningham's men assumed a whopping 18-point lead. Another Canning free from a central position deep into stoppage time meant that 19 separated the teams at the short whistle.

The midlanders struck the first three points upon the resumption through Cha Dwyer, Zane Keenan (free) and Purcell. Stephen 'Picky' Maher netted for the underdogs in the 45th minute, benefiting from a monster Reilly puck-out, after Canning and Smith had added to the Tribe's tally. Substitute David Glennon secured the 21st Galway point: 1-21 to 1-5.

Keenan replied from a '65' but Canning landed the winners' second three-pointer in the 48th minute, gathering a long Smith delivery to outwit the Laois defence and raise the green flag. Purcell and Joe Campion had it back to a 17-point game by the three-quarters stage.

Canning (free) took his tally to 1-11 and half-time replacement Glennon bagged his second before notching a goal - which stood even though the referee had blown for a free-in. Keenan saw his '65' and free cancelled out by two more Canning frees and the gap was 21 with seven minutes to go, 3-25 to 1-10.

Padraig Brehony and Canning picked off more Galway scores while Maher, Dwayne Palmer and Paddy Whelan grabbed consolation scores for Laois, who will be bitterly disappointed with today's result but - having recorded a historic victory over Offaly already this summer - can go into the Qualifiers with confidence.

Galway await the winners of the second Leinster semi-final between holders Kilkenny and Wexford at Nowlan Park tomorrow afternoon.

Galway - C Callanan; J Coen (1-0), P Mannion (0-2), J Hanbury (0-1); D Collins, I Tannian, Daithi Burke; A Smith (0-2), A Harte; David Burke (0-2), C Donnellan, J Glynn; C Mannion (0-1), J Canning (1-15, 0-9f, 0-2'65), N Healy (0-2). Subs: D Glennon (1-2) for N Healy, J Cooney for C Donnellan, P Brehony (0-1) for A Harte, G McInerney for D Collins, F Moore for C Mannion.

Laois - E Reilly; J A Delaney, C Healy, B Stapleton; J Fitzpatrick, M Whelan, T Delaney; J Campion (0-1), P Purcell (0-3); T Fitzgerald (0-1), Z Keenan (0-5, 3f, 2'65), C Dwyer (0-1); S Maher (1-1), W Hyland, D Palmer. Subs: P Whelan (0-2) for J A Delaney, N Foyle for J Campion, B Conroy for T Fitzgerald.

Referee - F Horgan.

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