Team captain Thomas O'Reilly posted eight points as Meath outscored Laois in this Electric Ireland Leinster MFC opener at Pairc Tailteann on Saturday afternoon.

Meath ........ 1-17
Laois ......... 2-8

Denis O'Shea's charges had all but secured their passage to the next round by half-time when leading by 1-9 to 0-3 at the break having played against the strong wind in the opening 30 minutes.

By the three-quarter stage Meath's lead was up to 11 points 1-14 to 0-6, before a late rally softened the final scoreline from Laois' perspective. The visitors outscored Meath by 2-4 to 0-5 in the latter stages despite losing Aaron Dowling to a second yellow card.

Sean Moore finished with 1-7 for Laois while Colm Murphy managed their second goal that left just four points in it, 1-15 to 2-8, after 55 minutes. Moore arrived two minutes earlier after Meath 'keeper Jordan Browne parried Murphy's initial attempt. Two late O'Reilly points steadied Meath who had seven scorers in all.

Despite playing against a strong cool breeze blowing from the town end, Meath opened with a flourish hitting six unanswered points in the opening quarter.

Team captain Thomas O'Reilly hit four of those scores, the pick of them being from a free from out on the left close to the open terrace to leave it 0-4 to 0-0 after eight minutes.

Laois hit four wides in the first 15 minutes and had to wait until early in the second quarter to open their account courtesy of a Sean Moore free.

A Meath scoring lull followed but in those eight minutes they might have added two goals. Laois 'keeper saving smartly from Eanna O'Kelly-Lynch and Ronan Ryan.

Meath eventually got in for a goal 27 minutes in when Ross Ryan's shot was deflected by a Laois defender to the net.

Padraig McGowan completed Meath's first-half tally in between efforts from play by Laois' Sean Moore and Peter Kealy that left the Royals 1-9 to 0-3 ahead at the break.

Meath resumed on the front foot with a trio of points, the pick of them from Seneschalstown's Adam Carey in the 34th minute. Sean Moore pulled another one back for Laois from a free.

Despite playing against the wind, a Laois rally yielded goals from Colm Murphy and top scorer Sean Moore but were not enough to make up the deficit.

Meath -  Jordan Browne (St Colmcilles); Danny Quinn (Dunshaughlin), Daniel O'Neill (Wolfe Tones), Ronan Ryan (Summerhill); Thomas McGuinness (Rathkenny), Robin Clarke (Duleek-Bellewstown), Eanna O'Kelly Lynch (Wolfe Tones 0-1); Ronan Jones (Dunboyne 0-1 45), Conor Nash (Simonstown); Eamon O Donnchadha (Clann Na nGael 0-3), Thomas O'Reilly (Wolfe Tones) (C) (0-8, 6fs), Adam Carey (Seneschalstown 0-1); Padraig McGowan (Slane 0-1), Caolach Halligan (Rathkenny), Ross Ryan (Summerhill 1-1). Subs - Daire Lynch (Trim 0-1) for O'Kelly-Lynch (42), Ben Hoey (Simonstown) for Halligan (47), David McEntee (Dunboyne) for O Donncha (51), Iarla Hughes (Summerhill) for McGuinness (53).

Laois - Joe Walshe (The Heath); Conor Behan (Ballylinan), Trevor Collins (Graiguecullen), James Kelly (St Joseph's); James Baldwin (Barrowhouse), Shane Whelan (Portlaoise), Dylan Doyle (St Joseph's); Peter Kealy (St Joseph's 0-1), Cathal Dunne (Ballylinan); Shane Smyth (Portlaoise), David Aston (Killeshin), Aaron Dowling (The Rock); Colm Murphy (Portarlington 1-0), Brian Daly (Barrowhouse), Sean Moore (Ballyfin (1-7, 0-5fs). Subs - Robert Piggott (Portarlington) for Doyle ht, Brian Byrne (Graiguecullen) for Whelan (44), Jake Foster (Portarlington) for Dunne (47), Andy McEvoy (Ballylinan) for Kealy (55)

Referee - David Fedigan (Louth).

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