Laois 7-26
Meath 0-5

Laois emphatically overpowered hosts Meath in this Electric Ireland Leinster MHC at Trim on Saturday afternoon.

Any chance of shock outcome was flatlined early on as Laois struck for two goals inside nine minutes leaving the final winning margin the only thing in doubt and nullfying Meath hopes of repeating their opening round win over Kildare.

With Pat Critchley - Laois' only hurling All-Star at the helm - the boys in royal blue and white chalked up 33 scores , including 17 in the opening half against the wind.

By the end Laois - who now face neighbours Offaly in a quarter-final clash - had 13 different scorers with all bar 0-3 of their tally coming from play.

Number 13 Mark Kavanagh top scored with 2-3 for Laois- all chalked up in the first-half. The other corner forward Andrew Mortimer bagged a brace of second-half goals.

Four Laois goals came in the final quarter when corner-forward Andrew Mortimer bagged two. Subs Rory McEvoy and Eanna Lyons also netted in this phase.

Meath's only score from play arrived courtesy of Ronan Byrne in the 33rd minute and was quickly followed by a Stephen Phelan goal that left it 3-18 to 0-3.

Laois' only scores from frees were posted in the 43rd, 46th 48th minutes respectively with Aaron Bergin registering.

It took Laois just 11 seconds to get off the mark with Martin Phelan pointing at the town end. Mark Kavanagh bagged 2-3 from play in the opening half with his first goal coming in the fourth minute. By the ninth minute the Rathdowney Errill clubman notched a second goal to leave it 2-2 to 0-1.

Conor Kearney registered both Meath points in the first half points, from frees just inside his own half. Entering the second quarter the board read 2-7 to 0-1. In the second quarter, the scoring rate slackened slightly.

Kearney's second point arrived in the 24th minute and left it 2-10 to 0-2. Laois tagged on five more points before the break with centre-half back Aaron Dunphy and midfielder Stephen Dunphy getting two each. Kavanagh completed their first-half tally and the midlanders led by 2-15 to 0-2 at the break.

Scorers: Laois - M Kavanagh 2-3; A Mortimer 2-0; A Bergin 0-6 (3fs); L O'Connell 0-4; S Phelan, R McEvoy 1-1 eacb; E Lyons 1-0; S Dunphy 0-3; A Dunphy, S Downey, M Phelan, 0-2 each; E Kileen, R Phelan 0-1 each.

Meath - C Kearney (fs), J Cox (fs) 0-2 each; R Byrne 0-1.

Laois - Laois - Stephen Kelly (Rosenalis); Joe Geaney (Portlaoise), Conor Phelan (Castletown), Eric Kileen (Rathdowney Errill); Liam O'Connell (C) (Rathdowney Errill), Aaron Dunphy (Borris-in-Ossory/Kilcotton), Lee Cleere (Clough Ballacolla); Sean Downey (Ballinakil), Stephen Dunphy (Borris-in-Ossory/Kilcotton); Stephen Phelan (Borris-in-Ossory/Kilcotton), Martin Phelan (Castletown), Aaron Bergin (Portlaoise); Mark Kavanagh (Rathdowney Errill), Robbie Phelan (Clough Ballacolla), Andrew Mortimer (Camross). Subs - Rory McEvoy (Abbeyleix) for Cleere, Eanna Lyons (Ballyfin) for Dunphy, David Connolly for Kavanagh all half-time.

Meath - Conor Gilmartin (Dunboyne); Noel O'Sullivan (Na Fianna), Peter Farrell (Trim), Darren Hennessy (Rathmolyon); Brian Reilly (Kiltale), Hugh Smith (C) (Blackhall Gaels), Ben McGowan (Gaeil Colmcille); Ethan Devine (Na Fianna), Cormac Mattimoe (Gaeil Colmcille); Conor Kearney (Kildalkey), Jack Delaney (Dunboyne), Ronan Byrne (Na Fianna); Peter Slevin (Na Fianna), Cian Slattery (Na Fianna), Jack Cox (Dunboyne). Subs - James McNally (Kildalkey) for Devine, Adam Murphy for Mattimoe, Conor McNally for Kearney, Alex Walsh for Slattery (all ht), Cathal O'Brien for Hennessy (40).

Referee - Kevin Brady (Louth)

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