Waterford 3-21 Laois 0-12
Pauric Mahony fired 1-14 as Waterford claimed their first win of the Allianz Hurling League Division 1B with a 3-21 to 0-12 win over Laois in Fraher Field.
The sides were tied seven times inside 33 minutes, but Waterford kicked on before the break with Austin Gleeson and Pauric Mahony on target to ensure a 0-11 to 0-08 half-time lead for the hosts.
A sixth Zane Keenan point cut the gap to two points early in the restart, but this was close as it got as Waterford kept on top.
Laois were reduced to 14 men following a second yellow card for Cha Dwyer in the 50th minute, and goals from Shane Bennett, Mahony and Tommy Connors in the final quarter helped Waterford to an 18-point win.
Seeking their first league win over Waterford since 1984, and despite a 10-point loss to the same opposition in the Championship last Summer, Laois were in confident mood coming into this encounter after a strong display against Offaly last weekend.
Waterford opted to start Bennett in place of Jake Dillon in the attack, while Ross King came in for Neil Foyle in the Laois starting 15, in a change from their loss to Offaly.
Laois shaded a 0-04 to 0-03 advantage at the end of a tight first quarter, with Mahony accounting for two of the host’s early points from play, while Brian O’Halloran added their third score in the eighth minute.
Mahony was sublime throughout and added to his early two points, with back-to-back scores from placed balls to help his side to a 0-05 to 0-04 lead by the 20th minute.
Keenan and Michael Walsh traded points, before Dwyer picked up his first yellow card.
The loss of Stephen ‘Picky’ Maher through a shoulder injury would ultimately prove a tough blow for Laois, with Maher now expected to be also ruled out of IT Carlow’s Fitzgibbon Cup quarter-final this week.
A fifth Mahony point handed Waterford a 0-07 to 0-05 lead in the 27th minute, but Laois rallied with a trio of points with Keenan (2) and Paddy Purcell on target to claim a one-point lead in the 32nd minute
But Waterford finished the half in strong fashion with Mahony and Austin Gleeson on target to take a 0-11 to 0-08 interval lead.
The introduction of PJ Scully for King and Ben Conroy for Joe Campion aimed to boost Laois on the restart, but experience told for Waterford, with their eyes fully set on their first win of the current league.
Keenan cut the gap to two points a minute after the restart, but Mahony again looked cool.
The WIT student fired a trio of points to push his side 0-14 to 0-09 ahead after 48 minutes.
Laois were soon reduced to 14 men after Dwyer picked up his second yellow card, while Mahony continued to do no wrong for Waterford as they moved six ahead after 51 minutes.
Waterford started the fourth quarter as they meant to continue, with substitute Jake Dillon setting up Bennett for their first goal – and at 1-15 to 0-09 ahead it was hard to see anything other than a Waterford win at this stage.
Derek McGrath’s charges failed to ease up with Mahony landing another point to open up a 12-point lead with 14 minutes remaining, before he claimed their second goal.
Michael Walsh set up Mahony nicely as he slotted the ball past Laois keeper Enda Rowland to ensure a 2-18 to 0-09 lead.
Mahony brought his tally to 1-14 in the 60th minute, before Keenan registered Laois’s first score in 26 minutes.
Waterford’s bench were eager to impress, with substitute Thomas Connors not long on the pitch before selling a dummy to fire home Waterford’s third goal in the 63rd minute.
Laois continued to work hard with Keenan’s ninth point ensuring a 3-19 to 0-12 score-line, with four minutes remaining.
However, the visitors failed to add to their tally with substitute Donal Breathnach among their scorers, as they fired two unanswered points late on, on the way to a comfortable victory.
Waterford: S O’Keeffe; S Fives, B Coughlan, N Connors; Philip Mahony, T De Burca, A Gleeson (0-02); J Barron, K Moran; M Kearney, Pauric Mahony (1-14, 9f), M Walsh (0-01); S Bennett (1-01), T Devine, B O’Halloran (0-01).
Subs: J Dillon for Kearney (HT); S O’Sullivan (0-01) for Devine (45); P Prendergast for Fives (50); D Breathnach (0-01) for S Bennett (60); T Connors (1-00) for Pauric Mahony (62).
Laois: E Rowland; JA Delaney, C Healy, B Stapleton; J Fitzpatrick, M Whelan, D Palmer; P Purcell (0-01), Z Keenan (0-09, 9f); C Dwyer, J Campion, W Hyland (0-01); R King (0-01), T Fitzgerald, S Maher.
Subs: C Stapleton for Maher (27); PJ Scully for Campion (HT); C Dunne for C Stapleton (52); J Purcell for Fitzgerald (63).
Referee: Diarmuid Kirwan (Cork).
