Leinster SHC Preliminary round/ Laois 4-19; Carlow 0-8: Carlow's unhappy record in the Leinster senior hurling championship reached a new low here yesterday as, even without key players, Laois overwhelmed the home side in this preliminary tie for a record 23-point winning margin.
The losers' new manager, Clare man Eoin Garvey, will only remain in the job by an assurance from the powers-that-be which will allow his team compete in the lower grade next season.
"We applied to be in the B championship this year but were refused. Now you saw the result of this irrational decision for yourself," he said afterwards.
Indeed had this been a boxing match it would have been stopped to avoid further unnecessary punishment.
Carlow were under the cosh from as early as 10 seconds in when Laois midfielder James Walsh opened the scoring with a point from almost half-way.
Laois then brushed the best efforts of their opponents aside with consummate ease and piled on the scores for a six-point lead in next to no time.
Laois manager Paudie Butler had asked his team to build up an early lead. "We attained what we set out to do but unfortunately the game as a contest lost its pattern. We achieved a decent score and were able to use as many subs as we could."
It was 18 minutes before Carlow got on the scoreboard with a pointed free from Karl English and they failed to score from play until late in the last quarter.
Carlow had one real chance of a goal in the final minutes when a foul on Des Murphy prompted Dublin referee Eamonn Morris to award a penalty. Their goalkeeper, Frank Foley, raced the length of the pitch to take the award but his shot went over.
Without suspended David Cuddy - he will also miss the first round match against Meath - and injured James Young and Robert Jones, Laois were suitably inspired by Cyril Cuddy, Pat Cuddy, Paul Cuddy, Rory Conroy, James Walsh and Tony Fitzgerald. They led by 2-11 to 0-1 at half-time.
Points by Pat Coady from frees early in the second half hardly heartened the Carlow men and substitute Owen Browne was quick into his stride with a brilliant goal off his left side to stretch the margin to 3-11 to 0-4.
The Laois scores continued to flow and the crowd, practically silent from the start, were soon heading for the exits. Another Laois substitute Eamonn Jackman raised a green flag to make matters even worse for the totally demoralised Carlow.
LAOIS: K Galvin; C Cuddy, P Cuddy, M McEvoy; J Fitzpatrick, P Cuddy (0-6, four frees), R Conroy; D Rooney (0-1), J Walsh (0-1); C Coonan (0-1), F Keenan (0-1), E Meagher (0-4); T Fitzgerald (1-3), L Tynan, D Culleton (1-0). Subs: O Browne (1-0) for Coonan; A Delaney for Fitzpatrick (both half time); C Brophy for Walsh (52 mins); E Jackman (1-0) for Rooney (53); D Walsh (0-2) for Tynan (60).
CARLOW: F Foley (0-1, pen); W Hickey, A Corcoran, M Kehoe; K Nolan, E Coady, A Gaul; S Kavanagh, Pat Coady (0-4, three frees); P Kehoe, D Murphy, R Minchin; B Murphy, K English (0-2, one free), S Smithers. Subs: SM Murphy (0-1) for Kavanagh (9 mins); D Shaw for M Kehoe (30); Paddy Coady for B Murphy (51); S Shiel for Gaul (65).
Referee: E Morris (Dublin).
