Flying start for clinical Limerick

Limerick 3-23 Laois 2-11 : Pat Tobin and Andrew O'Shaughnessy inspired Limerick to an impressive win over Laois at the Gaelic Grounds yesterday.

Laois began well and the teams were level at 0-4 each after 19 minutes. Worse followed for Limerick when John Brophy hit a cracking goal for the visitors from a pass by Joe Fitzpatrick.

Then Tobin began his scoring spree with a point. He added a goal and finished with a tally of 1-7, all from play while O'Shaughnessy notched 2-6, four of his points coming from frees.

O'Shaughnessy's two-goal strike came inside a three minute spell in the second half at a time when Limerick were 10 points clear and in cruise control.

Afterwards manager Richie Bennis praised Tobin's display. "He was on fire and has the potential to be on fire all the time and I hope he keeps it up. This was a potential banana skin for us. Laois started well but I was impressed with our accuracy and we had only three or four wides which is a big change from last year," he said.

Tobin's goal came after he frittered away an earlier great chance when he waltzed through but failed to finish properly. But he more than made amends and in a three-minute spell scored 1-2.

By half-time Limerick led 1-12 to 1-6 and O'Shaughnessy's goals wrapped up the victory.

But Laois did not go down without a fight and a point from a free by James Young was followed by a well-struck goal by Willie Hyland and yet another point by Zane Keenan, his third of the game. However points by substitutes, Kevin Tobin, Wayne McNamara and Mike Fitzgerald and others from O'Shaughnessy and Ollie Moran kept Limerick in control of proceedings.

Laois relied too much on Young for their scores but Hyland and Brophy took their goal chances impressively while Tommy Fitzgerald was also in good form.

In defence Conor Dunne and Matthew Whelan tried hard to stem the tide as Limerick benefited from an excellent midfield display by Donal O'Grady. Paudie O'Dwyer was strong at centre-back with Stephen Lucey rock solid in a full-back line that combined well. Ollie Moran and Seán O'Connor worked hard in attack.

LIMERICK : B Murray; M O'Riordan, S Lucey, S Hickey; Maurice O'Brien, P O'Dwyer (0-2, one free, one 65) , D Clancy; D O'Grady (0-1) , Mike O'Brien; S Lavin, O Moran (0-2) , A O'Connor; A O'Shaughnessy (2-6, four frees), S O'Connor (0-2), P Tobin (1-7). Subs : M Foley for Maurice O'Brien (50 mins), W McNamara (0-1) for O'Grady (50 mins), K Tobin (0-1) for Lavin (49 mins), P Browne for S O'Connor (49 mins), M Fitzgerald (0-1) for Tobin (62 mins).

LAOIS : P Mullaney; JA Delaney, B Campion, C Dunne; E Browne, M Whelan, J Phelan; J Fitzpatrick, S Norton; T Fitzgerald (0-2), W Hyland (1-0), Z Keenan (0-3); J Brophy (1-0), J Young (0-5, all frees), P Russell (0-1). Subs : C Coonan for Campion (half time), J Walshe (for Browne (11 mins), N Holmes for Norton (half time), J Dunne for Russell (51 mins).

Referee: L Wadding (Waterford).

© 2008 The Irish Times

This article appears in the print edition of the Irish Times