Laois no match for Offaly

Offaly 1-26 Laois 0-10, Tullamore

Offaly's hurlers continued their championship dominance over neighbours Laois in Tullamore this afternoon, romping to a facile 19-point win.

Laois' last championship success came over their midland rivals came in 1972, but despite an encouraging opening salvo, Damien Fox's young guns proved no match for the hosts.

Fox gave SHC debuts to seven players from the throw-in and Laois were holding their own as they shared out the game's first eight points.

In front of a 6,000-strong crowd, Offaly came good, hitting six points on the bounce to move 0-10 to 0-4 ahead and they were 0-15 to 0-6 in front at the interval.

Conditions were wet and windy but Offaly's hurling was admirably crisp, with corner forward Damien Murray leading their first half scoring with 0-8 (7f).

Laois had centre forward James Young to thank for four of their first half points, and the visitors struggled during the second half, failing to score a single point from play in the entire 35 minutes.

Murray helped himself to a goal, five minutes from time, when he slotted past Patrick Mullaney from close range and a subsequent point brought the Coolderry clubman's tally to 1-12.

Offaly's 13th straight championship win over Laois tees them up for a shot at reigning Leinster and All-Ireland champions Kilkenny, whose manager Brian Cody was in attendance today at O'Connor Park.

The Offaly-Kilkenny provincial semi-final will take place in Portlaoise on June 10. It has been 12 years since Offaly last lifted the Leinster SHC title.