Mick O'Dwyer's first game in charge of Laois ended in a 0-13 to 0-10 defeat to Longford at O'Moore Park today. With a succession of points from Padraig Davis, Paul Bardon and Padraig Shanley, Longford swept into an early lead and went on to a 0-07 to 0-03 half time advantage.
However, it was a transformed Laois team on the restart and they shot five successive points to take the lead by the 11th minute. The teams were level three times in that second half before Davis gave Longford the lead in the 21st minute.
Longford dominated the closing stages and further points from Davis and Shanley put them through to play Meath in the next round.
Wicklow defeated Carlow 2-12 to 2-09 in a game which got off to an electric start with corner forward Wayne O'Gorman crashing home a goal for Wicklow in the second minute but it was cancelled out immediately as Simon Rae converted a penalty.
Both sides fielded largely experimental teams for the game with John O'Leary including six first time starters in his team and Carlow lining out with nine newcomers.
But in the end it was the garden county who shaded it with Anthony Nolan putting in a man of the match performance kicking eight points in all for Wicklow and it's they who march forward to meet Dublin in Parnell Park next Sunday.
Wexford put in a strong finish and scored seven unanswered points during the closing 14 mins to run out somewhat flattering victors over Kilkenny in the O'Byrne Cup and will now line out against Offaly next weekend.
Kilkenny had their moments with a 30th min goal from Paul Maher putting them 1-4 to 0-6 in front. However at half time Wexford were back level at 1-4 to 0-7.
In the 54st min there was just a point between the sides after Maher kicked a point for Kilkenny but Wexford let rip and four scores from star forward Miahael Ford, two from Dara Breen and another Paddy Colfer shot them to victory.
Westmeath's Fergal Wilson ended the game as the top scorer wtih 7 points in the course of the 70 minutes to see off Louth 0-13 to 0-11 in Drogheda. Louth will rue many missed chances kicking 18 wides in the course of the game but it's Luke Dempsey's Westmeath who progress to play Kildare next Sunday in Round 2.
Filed by Johnny Proby
