Tipp ease past Laois to progress to quarter finals

GAA: All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Preliminary Quarter Final

Tipperary3-32

Laois0-18

Report: Shane Brophy

at Laois Hire O’Moore Park, Portlaoise

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Willie Connors (Tipperary)

SCORERS – Laois: Tomas Keyes 0-9 (6 frees); Paddy Purcell 0-4; Padraig Delaney, Jordan Walshe, James Keyes, Donnacha Hartnett, Aaron Dunphy 0-1 each.

Tipperary: Jason Forde 2-5 (0-2 frees); Darragh McCarthy 0-9 (6 frees, 1 ’65); Willie Connors 0-5; Sam O’Farrell 1-1; Andrew Ormond, John McGrath 0-3 each; Robert Doyle, Joe Caesar, Alan Tynan, Oisin O’Donoghue, Joe Fogarty, Peter McGarry 0-1 each.

Tipperary set up an All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship quarter-final against Galway after overcoming the challenge of Laois in this preliminary quarter-final on Saturday.

Tipp boss Liam Cahill made three changes from the team that started against Waterford with Seamus Kennedy making his first start of the campaign at wing back in place of Eoghan Connolly, who wasn’t part of the matchday panel, with Bryan O’Mara moving to full back. Joe Caesar came in at midfield, and the fit again Alan Tynan in the half forward line with Conor Stakelum and Jake Morris starting from the bench.

The visitors showed they were far from rusty in their first game in four weeks as they raced into a 1-5 to no score lead in as many minutes with Jason Forde getting the goal, adding to his point with Willie Connors bagging three points from play and Darragh McCarthy converting a free.

One feared for a turkey shoot but from there to half time Laois were more than a match for Tipp, once Paddy Purcell got them off the mark in the sixth minute.

Darragh McCarthy was denied a goal by a fine Cathal Dunne save moments later and the keeper stood tall to make saves from Forde and John McGrath inside the first quarter. Tipp keeper Rhys Shelly had to be alert also to deny Tomas Keyes who was lively in the Laois attack.

The home side were within six on 27 minutes, but Tipp finished the half strongly with Connors and Andrew Ormond to the fore in the scoring stakes as they led 1-18 to 0-12 at the break.

A point within seconds of the restart by Paddy Purcell got Laois going with the breeze but Tipp extinguished any hope for the home side when a long ball by Rhys Shelly broke into the path of Sam O’Farrell who finished clinically to the net.

Tipp’s third goal came in 39 minutes with John McGrath cutting out a Laois puckout and slick interplay with Andrew Ormond led to Jason Forde scoring his second goal.

Tipp could have had more goals but the crossbar denied John McGrath on 45 minutes while debutante Peter McGarry was unlucky to see a tremendous run and shot come back off the post.

McGarry was the most eye-catching of the five subs introduced with Oisin O’Donoghue and Joe Fogarty also getting among the scorers as Tipp progressed to the quarter final against Galway in the best way possible with no injuries to report.

TEAMS – Laois: Cathal Dunne; Cody Comerford; Padraig Delaney, Donnacha Hartnett; Ryan Mullaney, Lee Cleere, Jordan Walshe; Paddy Purcell, David Dooley (Capt); Fiachra C Fennell, James Keyes, Aidan Corby; Mark Dowling, Ben Conroy, Tomas Keyes.

Subs: Tom Cuddy for Delaney (35 inj); John Lennon for Corby (49); Aaron Dunphy for Dowling (51); Padraic Dunne for Mullaney (57); Martin Phelan for Walshe (64).

Tipperary: Rhys Shelly (Moycarkey/Borris); Robert Doyle (Clonoulty/Rossmore), Bryan O’Mara (Holycross/Ballycahill), Michael Breen (Ballina); Seamus Kennedy (St Mary’s), Craig Morgan (Kilruane MacDonaghs), Ronan Maher (Thurles Sarsfields, Capt); Willie Connors (Kiladangan), Joe Caesar (Holycross/Ballycahill); Alan Tynan (Roscrea), Andrew Ormond (JK Brackens), Sam O’Farrell (Nenagh Eire Og); Jason Forde (Silvermines), John McGrath (Loughmore/Castleiney), Darragh McCarthy (Toomevara).

Subs: Johnny Ryan (Arravale Rovers) for Doyle (HT); Oisin O’Donoghue (Cashel King Cormacs) for Ormond (47); Peter McGarry (St Mary’s) for Maher (47); Brian McGrath (Loughmore/Castleiney) for Morgan (54); Joe Fogarty (Moneygall) for McCarthy (55).

Referee: Chris Mooney (Dublin).