Laois, even by winning in Tralee by 14 points, still lost out on qualification for the Joe McDonagh Cup final, by virtue of what was happening between their Leinster neighbours, Carlow and Offaly, in Cullen Park at the same time.
Both Kerry and Laois came into this game in Austin Stack Park with some hope of qualifying for the final, but Carlow's big win over Offaly means a rematch between those two in a fortnight, with Laois leaving Tralee as empty-handed as Kerry in the greater scheme of things.
Whether or not news of Carlow's 10-point half time lead filtered back to the dressing rooms in Tralee is moot, but the Kingdom certainly played the second half like a team that knew their fate.
Laois probably knew their McDonagh Cup goose was cooked too, but at least they played like a team intent on finishing their season with a win.
Kerry had trailed by just two points at half time, 1-12 to 0-13, with Stephen Maher's 18th minute goal the difference in the main.
Padraig Boyle and Shane Conway (free) scored the first two points of the second half to tie the score, but thereafter Laois took over, with Maher leading the Leinster men, while his team mates lashed in three more goals to rescue a morale boosting win for William Maher’s team as their season comes to an end.
The first half was an odd 35 minutes of hurling, a championship game played with more than a flavour of a league fixture with little on the line. There was, of course, everything on the line from Kerry’s point of view, but Laois were up for it toto o, and kept pace with the home team right through.
Kerry were leading 0-7 to 0-5 when James Keyes set Maher through on 18 minutes and the Ballycolla man cracked his shot past John B O’Halloran to give Laois the lead they held to the interval.
Shane Conway converted six frees for Kerry in the first half, with Jordan Conway and Boyle scoring two each from play, while Maher finished the half with 1-5.
Those two early second half points gave Kerry some hope of at least the win, but Stephen Bergin was pulled back for a Laois penalty, which goalkeeper Enda Rowland lashed past his opposite number, and thereafter Laois eased away.
They were comfortably ahead, 2-22 to 0-22, after the hour mark when Maher set up Patrick Purcell to crash a fine shot past O’Halloran, and Bergin raised a fourth green flag on 69 minutes, but it was all academic at that stage as regards McDonagh Cup final qualification.
Kerry: John B O’Halloran, Evan Murphy 0-1, Eric Leen, Kyle O’Connor, Mikey Boyle, Fionán Mackessy 0-1, Jason Diggins, Eoin Ross, Michael Leane, Paudie O’Connor 0-1, Gavin Dooley, Jordan Conway 0-4, Brandon Barrett 0-2, Shane Conway 0-7 (7f) , Padraig Boyle 0-3.
Subs: Colin Walsh for M Leane (29), Darragh Shanahan for S Walsh (temp, 34-FT), Dan Goggin 0-1 for Gavin Dooley (ht), Philip Lucid 0-1 for B Barrett (49), Morgan Madden for J Diggins (59), Ricky Heffernan for P Boyle (66)
Laois: Enda Rowland 1-2 (1-0 pen, 2f), Ian Shanahan 0-1, Liam O’Connell, Donnchadh Hartnett, Jack Kelly 0-1, Padraig Delaney 0-1, Fiachra C Fennell, Aidan Corby 0-1, Ross King, James Keyes 0-2, Stephen Maher 1-12 (6f, 1 '65’), Patrick Purcell 1-0, Stephen Bergin 1-0, Martin Phelan 0-1, Tomás Keyes 0-2.
Subs: John Lennon for R King (temp, 20-25), John Lennon for R King (44), Gearoid Lynch for T Keyes (49), Ryan Mullaney for A Corby (57), James Duggan for J Keyes (60), Liam Senior for P Purcell (69).
Referee: Liam Gordon
