Kilkenny made it three round-robin wins from three as they defeated a spirited Laois side by 1-26 to 1-12 at O'Moore Park.

The result of this Round Three, Tier One contest means the winners have finished top of their section and assured themselves of the easiest possible quarter-final - against either the top-place team in Tier Three or the bottom team from Tier Two - in the middle of next month.

Laois - like all four Tier One teams - will also be in the last eight and tonight's workout was a very worthwhile one for them. Enda Lyons' lads were within five points with eight minutes left but a trademark Kilkenny power surge saw the away side prevail by 14!

The Black & Amber hit the ground running to build up an unassailable 0-12 to 0-4 half-time advantage.

Jack Doyle - a late addition to the starting XV - and Ciaran Brennan knocked over points at the start of the second quarter to nudge the visitors four clear, 0-6 to 0-2.

A Cian Kenny point stretched the gap with ten minutes left before the break and his James Stephens clubmate Eoin Guilfoyle duly slotted a brace to make it 0-9 to 0-2. Brennan tagged on the winners' tenth point five minutes from the interval and the last four points of the opening period were shared, with Kenny and captain / top scorer Conor Kelly (free) bringing the Kittens' tally to twelve.

Mark Hennessy supplied the hosts' last two scores of the first half, while Conor Cosgrove and Adam Kirwan (free) provided their first two.

Richie Mulrooney's charges edged further clear courtesy of a Kelly point upon the resumption but the O'Moore County lads exploded back into contention thanks to a brilliant Cathal O'Shaughnessy goal to the roof of the net followed immediately by a point - 0-13 to 1-5. A Kelly brace steadied the Noresiders, however, and they led by double scores come the 36^th minute.

Captain Kelly - scorer of 14 points in the 3-23 to 4-12 first-round defeat of Dublin and eight more tonight - converted a 40^th-minute free to keep the gap at eight. The midlanders refused to give up and a Cosgrove free had them just about in touch coming up to the three-quarters stage, 0-18 to 1-8.

Guilfoyle and Hennessy exchanged points and the O'Moore lads closed within five points by the 52^nd minute, with Hennessy, Adam Kirwan and Cosgrove (2) prominent at the business end of the pitch. Kirwan cancelled out a Darragh Maher point as the losers stayed within five but, in typical Kilkenny fashion, the winners reeled off 1-6 without reply - including a 59^th-minute Chris Korff goal - to win easily in the end.

Kilkenny - J Brennan; P Dempsey, P Moylan, K Rudkins; S Staunton, J Young (0-1), H Walsh; C Kelly (0-8, 6f, 1'65), D Maher (0-4); C O'Leary, C Kenny (0-3), J Morrissey; J Doyle (0-2), C Brennan (0-5), E Guilfoyle (0-3). Subs: D Crehan for P Moylan, N Higgins (1-0) for J Morrissey, C Korff for C O'Leary, P Donohue for H Walsh.

Laois - L Fitzpatrick; K Kelly, D Brennan, B Shore; A Connolly, C Cosgrove (0-4f), T Fitzpatrick; F Mahoney, S Farrell; C O'Shaughnessy (1-0), T Cuddy, E Hawkes; A Kirwan (0-5, 4f), M Hennessy (0-3), DJ Callaghan. Subs: C Byrne for DJ Callaghan, N Carey for B Shore, N Bennett for E Hawkes, C Walsh for A Kirwan.

Referee - G McGrath.

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