NHL Division One/ Tipperary 4-17 Laois 0-12: A week after suffering a humiliating defeat to Galway, Tipperary hurlers bounced back to score a comfortable victory over a disappointing Laois side at Portlaoise yesterday.

The result means Tipperary have gained a quarter-final place and Laois are relegated.

Tipperary began with five points in the opening six minutes and the home side could manage only a single point in the opening 30 minutes, a Philip Russell free.

Twelve minutes into the game Tipperary were awarded a penalty which was converted by Ken Dunne and his side went on to add further points from Eoin Brislane.

The real hero for Tipperary was the returning full forward Micheál Webster, who scored their second goal just before half-time to leave the score 2-11 to Laois's 0-4.

On the resumption Tipperary manager Michael Babs Keating could afford the luxury of bringing on a number of substitutes and they also looked very sharp.

Their third goal came from Webster 19 minutes into the half, and there was another blow for Laois after 25 minutes when substitute Damian Culleton was sent to the line five minutes after his arrival on the pitch.

In the closing minutes John Carroll added Tipperary's fourth goal after he was set up by Ken Dunne and although the home side finished with five unanswered points it only served to make the scoreline a little more respectable

TIPPERARY: D Young; E Buckley, P Maher, P Curran; E Corcoran, C O'Mahony (0-2), H Moloney; S McGrath (0-1), J Woodlock (0-1); G O'Grady, E Brislane (0-2), J Carroll (1-2); K Dunne (1-3), M Webster (2-4), D Egan (0-2). Subs: D Fanning for O'Mahony, P Ormonde for Curran, B Dunne for Corcoran, J O'Brien for Egan.

LAOIS: P Mullaney; B Campion, Packie Cuddy, P Mahon; N Phelan, J Hyland (0-3), J Fitzpatrick; M McEvoy, D Rooney (0-1); S Dwyer, M Rooney, P Russell (0-4); E Jackman, Paul Cuddy (0-1), J Hooban. Subs: E Meagher (0-2) for Fitzpatrick, K O'Keeffe for O'Dwyer, D Carter (0-2) for M Rooney, D Culleton for E Jackman.

Referee: M Wadding (Waterford).

• Kerry eventually overcame a wasteful Kildare side in a mediocre Division Two B final-round game played in a deserted Austin Stack Park, Tralee, yesterday to claim a semi-final place, running out 1-12 to 0-9 winners.

The real difference between the sides was Kerry's free-taker Shane Brick who hit 0-6 from placed balls, and 0-9 in total.

In the other game in the division, Westmeath, despite turning in a below-par performance after playing most of the second half with 14 men after Philip Gilsenan received a straight red card in the 44th minute, eased away in the final quarter to take both points against London at Cusack Park, Mullingar, yesterday, wining by 4-11 to 2-10.

The wind-assisted visitors produced a storming first-half effort and were full value for their 2-8 to 2-5 interval lead.