Conor Sweeney proved the difference as Tipperary recorded an excellent 1-16 to 1-10 victory over Laois at O'Moore Park.

Sweeney was on target seven times for the Premier County, who led by 0-7 to 0-6 at the break thanks largely to a run of six successive points between the second and 17th minute after Donie Kingston had registered first for the hosts.

Sweeney (4), Jimmy Feehan and Josh Keane got those scores but the midlanders rallied themselves to muster three without reply from Colm Begley, Niall Donoher and Kingston before Philip Austin lofted over the visitors' last score before the break.

A Kingston brace closed the first-half scoring and Laois were level soon after the restart thanks to John O'Loughlin. But Liam Kearns' charges - who had lost the talismanic Michael Quinlivan to injury in the first half - landed six of the next eight points to lead by 0-13 to 0-9 with a quarter of the match remaining.

Shortly after having the influential Kingston (who'd been denied a goal by the excellence of Evan Comerford) harshly black-carded, the O'Moore County seemed to have grabbed a lifeline when David Conway plundered a 60th-minute goal to reduce the arrears to the minimum.

But Tipp pulled away again with Liam Casey, Emmett Moloney and Kevin Fahey all pointing before Kevin O'Halloran's injury-time free from more than 50 metres somehow went all the way to the back of the net.

An excellent victory for last year's All-Ireland semi-finalists; another night of woe for Laois.

Tipperary - E Comerford; W Connors, P Codd, R Kiely; E Moloney (0-1), A Campbell, J Feehan (0-1); L Casey (0-1), J Kennedy; B Fox, K O'Halloran (1-0f), P Austin (0-2); J Keane (0-2, 1f), M Quinlivan, C Sweeney (0-7, 5f). Subs: L McGrath (0-1) for M Quinlivan, K Fahey (0-1) for W Connors, G Hannigan for L Casey, L Boland for P Austin, A Moloney for J Kennedy, M Dunne for K O'Halloran.

Laois - G Brody; D Strong, D Booth, J Kelly; S Attride, C Begley (0-1), E Buggie; D Luttrell, S Ramsbottom; D O'Reilly, D Conway (1-2, 0-1f), N Donoher (0-1); J O'Loughlin (0-1), D Kingston (0-5, 2f), P Kingston. Subs: A Farrell for S Ramsbottom, E Lowry for D O'Reilly, R O'Connor for N Donoher, J Finn for D Kingston (BC), R Munnelly for P Kingston, G Dillon for D Luttrell.

Referee - N McKenna.

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