Laois Today: Championship Diary: Kavanagh and Maher leading the way in hurling scoring charts

Ahead of this weekend’s senior hurling semi-finals and relegation playoff action, two of Laois’s finest hurlers are engaged in a different type of battle.

Rathdowney-Errill forward Mark Kavanagh and Clough-Ballacolla’s Stephen Maher are tied at the top of this year’s hurling scoring charts.

Both players have scored 35 points over the last three games, with Kavanagh hitting 1-32 and Maher with 2-29.

However, Maher may have a chance to move ahead of Kavanagh who is rumoured to be injured for this weekend’s game after picking up a nasty shoulder problem in the win over Castletown two weeks ago.

Eoghan Fennelly is their closest challenger with 29 points but he will remain on on that score as Abbeyleix have exited the championship.

Behind Fennelly is veteran forward Eamonn Jackman on 28 points. The Ballinakill native will be hoping to guide his side out of relegation trouble when they play Castletown in a bid to stay in the senior hurling championship for another year.

Looking at scores from play, Camross forward Mark Dowling leads the way with 4-5 but he won’t be able to add to his tally as his Camross team failed to reach the semi final.

Willie Dunphy and Stephen Dunphy are just behind Dowling and will be hoping to make up ground this weekend when Clough-Ballacolla take on Rosenallis on Sunday.

They have both 13 points with Willie getting 3-4 and Stephen getting 1-10.

Just below the Clough-Ballacolla duo comes championship joint top scorer Mark Kavanagh who has hit 1-8 (11) with his team mate Ross King one behind him with 1-7 (10).

Overall Top Scorer