Kildare 1-18

Laois 0-10

Kildare had minimal fuss in dispatching Laois this afternoon at Croke Park to secure back-to-back Leinster minor football championship titles for the first time.

Brendan Hackett's side were always in control in this decider, despite kicking 13 wides, as the superb Jimmy Hyland (0-7) helped them build on a 0-9 to 0-4 half-time lead to push their advantage to seven before Jack Robinson's goal on 54 minutes settled the issue.

Points from Tony Archbold, Kevin Foley and Hyland helped the Lilywhites race into an early 0-4 to 0-1 lead and they kept the umpire's arm busy even though goal chances from Brian McLoughlin and Robinson saw goal chances go a begging.

Laois had been led by full-forward Diarmuid Whelan up until the interval and saw an injury-time point from half-forward Ciaran Comerford cancelled out by Cian Costigan, as the favourites went in five to the good at the halfway stage.

Whelan landed a brace of points in the early stages of the resumption but that was as good as it got for the young O'Moore men for the rest of the afternoon.

Hyland fired over a quick hat-trick of points from the 36th minute to put it at double figures (0-12 to 0-6) and three more via Ciaran Kelly (2) and McLoughlin would follow without reply ahead of Robinson's major putting the game to bed.

Hyland and Paddy Woodgate raised the last two flags for Kildare, who secured their third Fr Larry Murphy Cup in four seasons in impressive fashion.

Kildare - L Mullins; J O'Toole, M Dempsey, D Shaw; T Archbold (0-2), J Gibbons, S Doran; D Marnell, A Masterson; K Foley (0-1), J Hyland (0-7, 4f), D Kelly; C Kelly (0-2), B McLoughlin (0-3), J Robinson (1-1). Subs: C Costigan (0-1) for D Kelly, P Woodgate (0-1) for K Foley, D O'Sullivan for T Archbold, J Burke for B McLoughlin.

Laois - R McGrath; Johnny Kelly, D Bennett, R Hitchcock; S Bolger, S Byrne, J O'Connor (0-1); L Delaney, M Connolly; C Comerford (0-1), A Deering (0-1), F Crowley; A Kinsella (0-1), D Whelan (0-6, 4f), Jimmy Kelly. Subs: R Tyrrell for L Delaney, J Kavanagh for Johnny Kelly, M McDermott for C Comerford, E Lowry for A Kinsella, D Feane for F Crowley, C Brennan for J O'Connor.

Referee - B Tiernan.

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