Wicklow surprise Laois to boost promotion hopes

Wicklow gave their Division 4 promotion hopes a much-needed boost as they got the better of a previously unbeaten Laois side at MW Hire O'Moore Park.

Oisín McConville’s side had only three points to show from their opening three games and needed to win this one to stay in the hunt.

They had hit Laois for 5-15 in last year’s Leinster championship but bizarrely started as 5/1 outsiders despite Laois being without injured captain and talisman Evan O’Carroll.

In a low-profile game, Laois played with the aid of the slight breeze in the opening half and were 1-03 to 0-01 ahead after 25 minutes, the goal coming from a Mark Barry free after Brian Daly had been fouled.

But Wicklow rallied and despite the usually reliable free taker Mark Jackson miss four efforts, they only trailed by a point at the break, 1-04 to 1-03, with Jack Kirwan pouncing for an injury time goal.

Kieran Lillis and Eoin Lowry got the first two points of the second half for Laois but Wicklow took over and hit six in a row, two long range frees as well as two from Kevin Quinn and one apiece from Patrick O’Keane and Dean Healy.

Laois rallied and drew level thanks to two points from Paul Kingston and one from young midfielder Kevin Swayne in the 63rd minute.

A free from Eoin Darcy and a second from play from the long-serving Healy, had Wicklow back in the lead as the clock ticked towards 70 minutes but Wicklow sealed the win in injury time when JP Hurley drilled a loose ball to settle the tie.

Laois pulled back a late penalty from Mark Barry but it was the last action of the day as Wicklow held on and Laois lost their 100% record.

Laois: S Osborne; S Greene, T Collins, R Pigott; S O’Flynn, M Timmons, D Kavanagh; K Lillis (0-01), K Swayne (0-01); M Barry (2-03, 2 pens,