TIPP SCORING WIDE SPREAD

Tipperary Laois

2-32 0-18

Allianz NHL Division 1B

STEPHEN BARRY

BY

LIAM Cahill’s first League match as Tipp manager featured 34 scores from 14 different players.

They had 57 shots at the posts in 70 minutes, spraying 18 wides and took only two of nine goal chances.

“When you see an array of scorers like that, it definitely gives you great encouragement that fellas are playing together as a team,” said Cahill (inset) after getting the better of his Ballingarry clubmate, Willie Maher, the new Laois manager.

“There were some areas of our play where we over-elaborated a little bit and took one or two wrong options on the ball but we’ll look at that. It’s a work in progress.”

The only potential longer-term impact of this rout came when midfielder Conor Stakelum limped off with a hamstring injury after scoring three first-half points.

Both sides finished with 14 men as Brian Mcgrath and PJ Scully came off injured late on, with the Laois free-taker also confirmed to have damaged his hamstring.

Cahill has already lost Ger Browne last week to a recurrence of a knee issue that will require surgery and most likely end his season. In better news, he expects to see Séamus Callanan back in blue and gold soon.

“Séamie is working really hard behind the scenes with us in training and I’d expect to hopefully see Séamie over the next couple of weeks.”

Gearóid O’connor led the scoring with 0-11, while Jake Morris came off the bench to blast 1-2. He was one of eight subs to score; four for each side.

The one attacker who didn’t score did most of the spadework, Patrick ‘Bonner’ Maher assisting 1-4, including Séamus Kennedy’s 12th-minute goal.

Laois were 1-17 to 0-7 behind at half-time, although Tomás Keyes provided their brightest spark, the youngster finishing with four points. SCORERS: TIPPERARY: G O’connor

0-11, 7f, 1 65); J Morris (1-2); C Stakelum, S Ryan, R Maher (1f) 0-3 each; S

Kennedy (1-0), C O’dwyer, J Mcgrath 0-2 each; C Barrett, N Mcgrath, B Mcgrath, J Campion, M Kehoe, C Bowe 0-1 each. LAOIS: PJ Scully (0-6, 5f); T Keyes 0-4; J Keyes 0-2; R Mullaney, FC Fennell, R King, P Purcell, J Duggan, L Senior 0-1 each