Tipp cruise past Laois and book date with Galway

Tipperary are through to the All-Ireland senior hurling championship quarter finals following a routine victory over Laois.

In driving rain in a packed O'Moore Park, Tipperary scored goals at the start of both halves which helped them on the way to a big victory by a 3-32 to 0-18 margin at Laois Hire O'Moore Park.

They were 1-05 to no score up after four minutes and the game was essentially over as a contest from that point onwards.

Tipperary were 1/100 with the bookies beforehand and won by 23 points in the end to set up a quarter-final against Galway.

Laois were beaten by Kildare in the Joe McDonagh Cup final six days ago by ten points so they will probably be happy enough with the showing that they put up here.

They operated with a sweeper, one of Fiachra C-Fennell, Donnchadh Hartnett or Ryan Mullaney, throughout and that ultimately helped them to keep the score down.

Jason Forde scored 2-03 for the victors while Willie Connors was excellent in midfield with five points - with Tomas Keyes as Laois' main performer.

Forde, Connors and Darragh McCarthy pointed for Tipperary early on before Forde wheeled away from the Laois defence to plant a shot into the bottom corner. Connors added another brace to his tally before Paddy Purcell got Laois off the mark with two of his own.

Tipperary came close to a second goal but they were denied by Cathal Dunne who carried over his form from the Joe McDonagh Cup final last week.

McCarthy added a further two points from placed balls but Laois were starting to battle back well and win plenty of ball. The hosts were denied a goal of their own after two great saves by Rhys Shelly to foil Tomas Keyes and Purcell, but points from Jordan Walshe and Podge Delaney kept the scoreboard ticking over.

Tomas Keyes continued to add points but by the time we got to half time, Tipperary led 1-18 to 0-12.

Laois got the first score of the second half through Paddy Purcell but that would be as good as it got. From the next puckout, the ball broke to Sam O'Farrell who shot low into the corner and left Cathal Dunne in the Laois goal with no chance.

Laois went short from the next restart and lost possession with the sliotar eventually coming to Forde who smashed a shot into the other corner of the net.

The rate of scoring slowed massively over the next 15 minutes as Tipperary pointed five to Laois' three and held an 18-point lead midway through the half.

Tipperary were denied goal by the frame of the posts twice in that period however as John McGrath and Peter McGarry both hit the woodwork.

Late points from Peter McGarry, Jason Forde, Joe Fogarty and Oisin O’Donoghue completed the 23-point victory for the visitors.

Laois: Cathal Dunne; Cody Comerford, Lee Cleere, Donnchadh Hartnett (0-01); Ryan Mullaney, Podge Delaney (0-01), Jordan Walshe (0-01); Fiachra C-Fennell, David Dooley; Aidan Corby, Tomas Keyes (0-09, 7f), Paddy Purcell (0-04); Mark Dowling, Ben Conroy, James Keyes (0-01). Subs: Tom Cuddy for Delaney (35, inj), John Lennon for Corby (49), Aaron Dunphy (0-01) for Dowling (51), Padraic Dunne for Mullaney (57), Martin Phelan for Walshe (64)

Tipperary: Rhys Shelly; Robert Doyle (0-01), Bryan O’Mara, Michael Breen; Craig Morgan, Ronan Maher, Joe Caeser (0-01); Willie Connors (0-05), Séamus Kennedy; Alan Tynan (0-01), Andrew Ormond (0-03), Sam O’Farrell (1-01); Darragh McCarthy (0-09, 6f, 1 '65), John McGrath (0-03), Jason Forde (2-04, 2f). Subs: Johnny Ryan for Doyle (ht), Oisin O’Donoghue (0-01) for Ormond and Peter McGarry (0-01) for Maher (both 47), Brian McGrath for Morgan (55), Joe Fogarty (0-01) for McCarthy

Referee: Chris Mooney (Dublin)

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