All-Ireland Hurling Qualifiers Round One: Tipperary 3-28 Laois 0-13 This was the first championship meeting of these sides since they met in the 1949 All-Ireland final. Tipperary, stunned by Clare in the Munster championship, had made several enforced changes for this clash in Portlaoise on Saturday evening, while the home side, beaten by Dublin in a replay, also lined out minus a couple of first-choice players.
Within 10 minutes of the throw-in Tipperary led 0-6 to 0-0 and by the end of the quarter two well-taken goals by Eoin Kelly put the game well beyond Laois. Former Kilkenny captain Denis Byrne, lining out at full forward, created a big impression in scoring some wonderful points but it was Kelly who caused most problems. Along with his brother Paul, he contributed some excellent Tipperary points.
Laois midfielder James Young and David Cuddy scored two points each but at half-time Tipperary were completely in command, leading 2-16 to 0-4.
Within two minutes of the restart Byrne set up Brian O'Meara for Tipperary's third goal. To their credit Laois kept plugging away and points from James Young and Liam Tynan kept the spectators interested.
On the sideline, former Tipperary player and coach Michael Doyle experimented by introducing such former first-choice players as Liam Cahill, Lar Corbett, Ger O'Grady who contributed two fine points, John Devane and Aidan Butler.
In the Laois dugout, another Tipperary man, Paudie Butler, also introduced some replacements and two of them, Brian McCormack and Enda Meagher, each contributed two fine points.
Laois did have a number of goal opportunities in the final quarter but the Tipperary half-back line of Benny Dunne, Paul Kelly and Tommy Dunne were dominant.
After the game Tipperary manager Doyle expressed delight at getting back on the winning trail after the huge disappointment of the Clare defeat, while his counterpart was hugely disappointed. Butler said he felt his side had made progress in the provincial championship but this 24-point hammering by his native county obviously had left his Laois charges shattered.
TIPPERARY: B Cummins; T Costello, P Curran, M Maher; B Dunne (0-1), T Dunne, P Kelly (0-3); E Enright, E Brislane; J Carroll, C Gleeson (0-3), M O'Leary (0-3); E Kelly (2-8), D Byrne (0-6), B O'Meara (1-1). Subs: G O'Grady (0-2) for Gleeson; L Corbett (0-1) for O'Meara; L Cahill for E Kelly; J Devane for E Brislane; A Butler for T Dunne.
LAOIS: J Ryan; L Mahon, Packie Cuddy, P Drennan; C Cuddy, Paul Cuddy, P Mahon; J Young (0-5), R Jones; J Phelan (0-1), L Tynan (0-2), F O'Sullivan; T Fitzgerald, D Cuddy (0-1), D Culleton. Subs: L Wynne for P Drennan; C Coonan for Wynne; B McCormack (0-2) for O'Sullivan; E Meagher (0-2) for J Phelan;
Referee: T McIntyre (Antrim).
