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Tipperary sweep away their near neighbours and survey options

Tipperary completed their league campaign with a comprehensive victory over Laois at Portlaoise on Saturday

Mon Apr 23 2001 - 01:00

Tipperary completed their league campaign with a comprehensive victory over Laois at Portlaoise on Saturday. Tipperary travelled to the venue with the knowledge that they had already qualified for the league semi-finals.

Victory over Cork six days earlier had ensured that place and they travelled minus several of their first-team choices. Laois, on the other hand, were pointless and were using the game as preparation for the forthcoming Leinster championship.

The visitors were two points ahead after five minutes before Declan Conroy and Cyril Cuddy opened the Laois scoring. At the end of the quarter Tipperary led 0-4 to 0-3. In the second quarter Tipperary took complete control and sent over six unanswered points. Laois closed the scoring with a Canice Coonan point from a free on the stroke of half-time to leave the score at the interval 0-11 to 04 in Tipperary's favour.

In the second half, the home side had the advantage of the wind, but Tipperary opened with a point by Eugene O'Neill and the same player was involved in setting up Declan Ryan for a well-taken goal five minutes into the half. Laois improved considerably and shot four points in a row. With 15 minutes remaining, Tipperary led 1-15 to 0-10 and then experimented by replacing four of their first-choice players.

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In the final 15 minutes Laois went on to add three further points and almost on the call of full-time, in an unsavoury incident, Tipperary midfield player Noel Morris received a straight red card which will almost certainly rule him out of the remainder of the league campaign.

Tipperary: D Rabbitte; T Costello, P Maher, P Curran; J Carroll, M Ryan, E Corcoran; Terry Dunne, N Morris (0-2); J O'Brien (0-2), Thomas Dunne (0-2), J Leahy; L Cahill (0-2), D Ryan (1- 3), E O'Neill (0-5), Subs: M O'Leary for D Ryan, P Kelly for L Cahill, L Corbett for J Leahy, E Kelly for E Corcoran.

Laois: J Lyons; R Delaney, S Dooley, D Killeen; N Rigney, P Cuddy, J O'Sullivan; D Conroy (0-1), J Phelan (0-2); C Cuddy (0-3), D Cuddy (0-3), C Coonan (0-2); C Clear, O Dowling, F O'Sullivan (0-2). Subs: D Rooney for C Clear, P Phelan for C Coonan.

Referee: E Morris (Dublin).