Babs Keating’s Tipperary side booked their place in the NHL Division 1 quarter-finals as their trip to Portlaoise resulted in a 4-17 to 0-12 hammering of Laois.
Tipp had a slim chance of making the knockout stages but other results – Galway losing to Kilkenny and Limerick beating Antrim – went their way as they swooped for third spot in Division 1B. It sets them up for a date against Division 1A’s second-ranked team on April 16.
Minus the Kelly brothers Eoin and Paul, Tipp were 1-06 to 0-01 in front by the quarter-hour mark and well on the road to recording their second win in three league outings.
Dara Egan (0-02), Conor O’Mahony, with a long range free, and Eoin Brislane were notable scorers in a furious opening in wet conditions. Kenny Dunne tapped home a penalty for Tipp’s opening goal, while Laois lived off frees from Philip Russell.
Wing forward Russell, who hit six points in last week’s defeat to Limerick, cracked over two frees before Michael McEvoy landed the midlanders’ opening point from play in first half injury-time.
Tipp were toasting their second goal by that stage. The Munster men built up a 2-11 to 0-04 half time lead. Micheal Webster netted on 32 minutes. It was a score created by Under-21 player James Woodlock, who performed well in a centre-field combination with Shane McGrath.
Woodlock raced deep into Laois territory, fed John Carroll and he found Webster who beat Laois stopper Pat Mullaney all ends up. Russell replied with a free, midfielder McEvoy notched a point from play and Paul Cuddy also got off the mark as the hosts ended the half well.
Tipp went 2-14 to 0-05 up early in the second half as a Russell free was cancelled out by efforts from Webster, Dunne and McGrath.
Laois lost Damien Culleton to a red card in between Tipp’s third and fourth goals. Taking his tally to 2-04, Webster netted on 53 minutes and five minutes later, Carroll bundled home.
Tipp took their foot off the gas as Laois landed the game’s final five points, but Keating’s men were already turning their attentions to the knockout stages.
