Laois 1-12 Tipperary 4-17FULL-FORWARD Lar Corbett was in splendid scoring form yesterday for Tipperary, who must content themselves with a place in the quarter-finals of the National Hurling League. Corbett scored a hat-trick of goals within 16 minutes at Cashel's Leahy Park but Galway topped Division One B and claimed the automatic semi-final place on offer.
Galway's better scoring average carried them home as Tipperary had to hammer Laois by 23 points after Ger Loughnane's Galway beat Limerick by 11 at the Gaelic Grounds.
In front of 1,500 spectators, Tipp lined out without leading scorer Eoin Kelly, who damaged his back yesterday morning.
Séamus Butler slotted into the right-corner-forward position. But it was Corbett who picked up the attacking baton with 3-2.
His early goals killed the game but from there until the finish, Tipp managed just six points more than a gallant Laois.
Tipp shot nine of their 15 wides in the opening half but they were comfortably in control at the break, leading 3-7 to 0-5. And when referee John Sexton blew his final whistle, 11 Tipp players had registered scores as all six forwards, both midfielders and two half backs were on target.
Substitute Tommy Fitzgerald came off the bench to nab a last-minute goal after Darragh Hickey's shot had been saved by Laois goalkeeper Tadhg Doran.
Laois's Tommy Fitzgerald landed his side's goal 11 minutes from time as the Portlaoise forward diverted a sideline cut into the net from close range. That was merely a consolation score from an outclassed Laois, who were unable to cope with the searing pace of Corbett in the first half.
The Thurles Sarsfields attacker banged home his first goal on just six minutes after turning Joe Phelan, who was switched from wing back to full back in Brian Campion's absence. Three minutes later, Corbett latched on to Pa Bourke's flick for a carbon copy of his opener. And his hat-trick was completed in the 16th minute as the full forward tapped the loose ball to the net after goalkeeper Doran had produced a wonderful save from his initial effort.
TIPPERARY:G Kennedy; P Stapleton, P Curran, C O'Brien; E Corcoran, C O'Mahony (0-1, free), S Maher (0-1); J Woodlock (0-1), J Ceaser (0-1); D Hickey (0-1), S McGrath (0-1), P Kerwick (0-3); S Butler (0-3), L Corbett (3-2), P Bourke (0-3, one free). Subs:B Dunne for Ceaser (45 mins), R O'Dwyer for McGrath (56 mins), P Ormond for O'Brien (58 mins), D Egan for Kerwick (65 mins), T Fitzgerald (1-0) for Butler (67 mins).
LAOIS:T Doran; JA Delaney, J Phelan, C Dunne; J Fitzpatrick, M Whelan (0-1, free),C Coonan; J Walsh, W Hyland (0-2), J Young (0-5, four frees, one 65),E Holohan, Z Keenan (0-3); T Fitzgerald (1-0),J Dooley, N Holmes. Subs: J Rowney (0-1)for Dooley (32 mins), S Norton for Holmes (55 mins).
Referee: J Sexton(Cork).
