Laois breeze past Wicklow in SHC opener

Laois 2 - 22 Wicklow 0 - 10

First half goals by Michael McEvoy and Liam Tynan helped Laois to an easy win in this Leinster Senior Hurling Championship preliminary round clash in Portlaoise.

Level at 0-4 apiece after 13 minutes, it started to go wrong for Wicklow when McEvoy's speculative shot from 45 metres finished in the net.

When Tynan burst through on 27 minutes to make it 2-8 to 0-5, it was over as a contest.

Leading by 2-11 to 0-6 at the break, Laois piled on the points in the second half to clinch a showdown with Carlow in Portlaoise on Saturday.

Laois: J Lyons; L Mahon, Pakie Cuddy, R Delaney; C Cuddy, Paul Cuddy (0-2), M McEvoy (1-0); J Young (0-7), R Jones (0-2); J Phelan (0-2), P Mahon (0-1), E Maher (0-1); B McCormack (0-3), L Tynan (1-3), T Fitzgerald.

Subs: D Culleton for Fitzgerald (48 mins); P Drennan for McEvoy (49 mins); L Wynne (0-1) for Jones (54 mins); D Rooney for P Cuddy (66 mins); C Coonan for Delaney (70 mins).

Yellow cards: None

Wicklow: K Snell; MJ O'Neill, G Keogh, G Birmingham; L Kennedy, MA O'Neill, T McGrath; G Doran, C O'Toole; D Moran, J Murphy, J Keogh (0-8, all frees); D Hyland (0-1), W O'Gorman (0-1), T Collins.

Subs: E Kennedy for Moran (47 mins); R O'Brien for L Kennedy (55 mins); E O'Sullivan for McGrath (70 mins).

Yellow cards: MA O'Neill 32

Referee: D Murphy (Wexford)

Man of the match: Michael McEvoy (Laois).