Beaten last year after a replay by eventual champions Westmeath, Laois easily advanced to a quarter-final when they crushed a disappointing Carlow side. The home side took full advantage of the wind to lead 0-8 to 0-3 at the interval. Carlow failed to capitalise in the second-half and when Stephen Kelly converted a Laois penalty after 37 minutes the contest was as good as over.

Carlow hit back five minutes later with a Martin Keating goal but Kelly rounded off a wonderful performance when he scored his second goal from a penalty with the last kick of the game.