Laois senior hurling team manager Willie Maher. Photo by Ben McShane/Sportsfile
Joe McDonagh Cup
Laois 7-29 Meath 1-16
By Paul Keane at St Loman's Park, Trim
Goal hungry Laois registered a neat half century of points in Trim, issuing a significant statement of their Joe McDonagh Cup intentions in the process.
Fresh off their morale boosting Round 1 defeat of Offaly, Willie Maher's side followed up with a 31-point demolition of hosts Meath.
Ultra experienced Willie Dunphy top scored with 1-4 while full-forward Mark Dowling netted twice and set up a couple more for James Duggan and Tomas Keyes.
Goalkeeper Enda Rowland also registered a goal from a penalty while substitute Martin Phelan grabbed the last of the three-pointers.
The huge tally, which added up to 50 points, will do wonders for Laois' scoring difference and they will head to Kerry in Round 3 next weekend with momentum on their side.
But it was a difficult afternoon for Meath who were powerless to prevent the Laois scoring siege, particularly in the second-half when five of the goals were scored. Laois also tallied 18 wides overall, meaning they creating around 60 scoring chances in all.
In just his second game as interim Meath manager, and his first on home soil, Steven Clynch was keen to get off the mark with a first win.
They kept pace with Laois for the first 20 minutes or so too, trailing by just three points at that stage.
Dowling netted a terrific solo goal for Laois in the eighth minute after turning his man on the right wing and racing clear.
And a three-in-a-row of Laois points from Aaron Dunphy, Keyes and Maher put six between them but a 21st minute Meath goal from Kilmessan man Mark Horan cut the deficit in half.
Laois moved up a gear after that and finished the first-half strongly, raising another green flag from Rowland's penalty to take a 2-16 to 1-8 half-time lead.
Meath needed a strong second-half and hoped they might conjure something special with the wind behind them but it never materialised.
Instead, Laois hammered home their authority with an unanswered 1-4 between the 39th and 45th minutes to leave 17 points between them at that stage.
Pressing up hard on Meath's puck-outs paid off for Laois and Willie Dunphy's goal came from a turnover on a short puck-out while subs Duggan and Phelan got in on the goal-scoring act late on.
Meath will have the opportunity to bounce back when they host Offaly next weekend in Round 3.
Scorers for Laois: Willie Dunphy 1-4, Mark Dowling 2-0, Martin Phelan 1-2, Tomas Keyes 1-2, Aaron Dunphy 0-5, James Duggan 1-1, Padraig Purcell 0-4, Stephen Maher 0-4 (0-1f, 0-1 65), Enda Rowland 1-0 (1-0 pen), Padraig Delaney 0-2, David Dooley 0-2, Aidan Corby 0-2, Fiachra C Fennell 0-1.
Scorers for Meath: Nicky Potterton 0-4 (0-1f, 0-1 65), Mark Horan 1-0, Sean Quigley 0-3, James Toher 0-2 (0-2f), Kris Gorman 0-1, Tom Shine 0-1, Sean Martin 0-1, James Kelly 0-1, Simon Ennis 0-1, Eamon Og O Donnchadha 0-1, Domhnall Rogers 0-1,
Laois: Enda Rowland; Ian Shanahan, Ryan Mullaney, Diarmuid Conway; Liam O'Connell, Padraig Delaney, Fiachra C Fennell; Aidan Corby, Padraig Purcell; Aaron Dunphy, Stephen Maher, David Dooley; Tomas Keyes, Mark Dowling, Willie Dunphy.
Subs: Donnchadh Hartnett for Conway 46, James Duggan for Dooley 46, John Lennon for Purcell 52, Martin Phelan for Maher 60, Lee Cleere for O'Connell 60.
Meath: Charlie Ennis; Jarlath Ennis, Sean Geraghty, Daire Shine; Kris Gorman, James Toher, James Kelly; David Murtagh, Niall McLarnon; Tom Shine, Sean Martin, Simon Ennis; Padraig O'Hanrahan, Eamon Og O Donnchadha, Nicky Potterton.
Subs: Mark Horan for O'Hanrahan 15, Mark Horan for Martin 50, Sean Quigley for Murtagh 53, Jack Walsh for McLarnon 60, Eoin Donegan for Kelly 60, Philly O'Brien for C Ennis (inj) 72.
Referee: Peter Owens (Down).