Cathal Mannion scored 1-05 on his return for Galway as they got their NHL Division 1B campaign back on track with a comprehensive win over Laois at Pearse Stadium in Salthill.
Micheal Donoghue’s men played with the strong breeze behind them in the opening half and held a 0-20 to 0-05 lead at half-time, before the rain came down in the second-half and Joe Canning and Conor Whelan added further goals – Stephen Bergin scored the consolation for Laois.
Galway hammered Offaly by 26 points in their opening game this season but their defeat at the hands of Wexford last time out was a huge set-back to their promotion ambitions.
But back on home turf Galway were far too strong for a lacklustre Laois and they made it two wins from three outings.
Galway were deadly in the opening minutes and they quickly killed off the game inside seven minutes. It was an awesome period from the hosts and they strung nine points in a row to pull clear.
The Tribesmen didn’t miss until Jason Flynn pulled a long range free wide and right in the eighth minute, and then Aidan Corby and Patrick Purcell scored two points back to back to offer some reprieve for Laois.
But Galway quickly cancelled that out with points from Padraic Mannion and Paul Flaherty, and then Conor Cooney and Aidan Harte pushed them 0-13 to 0-02 in front in the 17th minute.
Ross King hit back with a free but Galway pressed again with Cathal Mannion and Conor Cooney next to find their range.
Cian Taylor and Ben Conroy did score for Laois before half-time, but the damage was already done and Thomas Monaghan rounded off the Galway scoring as they held a massive 0-20 to 0-05 half-time lead.
King continued to take the fight to Galway in the second-half and the Laois corner-forward ended up with a personal tally of six points.
But Galway were able to call on Canning in the second-half, and he scored a penalty just before the hour – Cathal Mannion had bagged the first Galway goal 12 minutes after half-time.
Bergin was on target for Laois before Canning’s penalty, and Whelan piled on the misery with Galway’s third goal in the 65th minute.
Galway: J Skehill; P Killeen (0-01), J Hanbury, P Mannion (0-01); A Harte (0-01), Daithi Burke (0-01), S Loftus; J Coen (0-01), David Burke (0-01); C Mannion (1-05), J Cooney (0-01), P Flaherty (0-05); J Flynn (0-06, 0-04f, 0-01 65), T Monaghan (0-03), C Cooney (0-03).
Subs used: J Canning (1-02, 1-00 pen) for J Cooney (44), E Burke for Killeen (50), C Whelan (1-00) for C Cooney (53), G Lally for P Mannion (55), M Keating for Monaghan (66).
Laois: E Rowland; C Healy, L Bergin, D Palmer; S Downey, R Mullaney, P Whelan; C Taylor (0-01), P Purcell (0-01); E Lyons, A Corby (0-01), R King (0-06, 0-03f, 0-01 65); W Dunphy, N Foyle, B Conroy (0-01).
Subs used: A Dunphy (0-01) for Lyons (30), S Bergin (1-00) for W Dunphy (51, blood), J Kelly for Mullaney (62), E Killeen for Corby (67), L O’Connell for Palmer (75).
Referee: Paud O’Dwyer (Carlow)
