Laois stood strong defensively in the second half to run out 1-10 to 0-09 winners over neighbours Carlow at O'Moore Park.
Seven different players were on target for Laois with John O'Loughlin netting the only goal of this All-Ireland SFC qualifer in the 13th minute.
With Brian Murphy standing out, Carlow were level at 0-07 to 1-04 at half-time but they missed a host of scoring chances.
After the match, Luke Dempsey stepped down as Carlow boss.
They were held to just two points in the second period - during which time they hit six wides - as substitutes MJ Tierney, David Conway and Paul Cahillane shot Laois to a well-merited victory.
2,479 spectators watched a game that was characterised by bad misses by both sides, with Carlow ending with 14 wides and Laois had eight.
Carlow made three changes to the team named in midweek with Dempsey welcoming back Daniel St. Ledger and Paul Reid to the starting line-up.
Reid replaced Con Murphy in the half-forward line, while St. Ledger was named alongside JJ Smith and Sean Gannon in the full-forward line. Cormac Walshe was the player to lose out. The other change for Carlow was in defence with Barry Lambe replacing Shane Redmond.
For Laois, manager Justin McNulty stuck with the team he named originally with Peter O'Leary, Shane Julian and Billy Sheehan making way for Jamie Kavanagh, Damien O'Connor and Colm Kelly respectively.
The visitors looked the more dangerous outfit in the opening stages and built a 0-03 to 0-01 lead after nine minutes. However, all of these scores came from placed balls converted by Brian Murphy, JJ Smith and St. Ledger.
Laois's free-taker Colm Kelly kept them in touch, but the hosts burst into life in the 15th minute with the only goal of the opening half.
Kelly and Damien O'Connor were initially involved in the move before John O'Loughlin cut through the middle and blasted to the back of the Carlow net to put Laois ahead for the first time.
1-02 to 0-03 to the good, the O'Moore men looked to build further on that lead and a second Kelly point moved them three ahead. Laois were lording midfield at this stage, but failed to add to their tally for a further 16 minutes with wides blighting their play.
Ross Munnelly, O'Loughlin and O'Connor were guilty of poor shooting, while at the opposite end Carlow continued to punish Laois from placed balls. St. Ledger and Smith cut the gap to the minimum with 15 minutes to go before the break.
Kelly opened up a two-point gap with his third point, before another goal chance came for the hosts. The Stradbally clubman was again involved, but his effort from 30 metres out was inches away from going in. Kelly's shot came off the upright, then off the finger tips of Carlow goalkeeper O'Reilly before coming back into play.
The visitors offered an immediate response with the ball played downfield to Brian Murphy who claimed his second point to reduce the margin to the minimum.
Carlow finished the half strongly with Murphy adding a further score to tie the game for the second time - 0-07 to 1-04. But Laois moved ahead inside a minute of the restart when Ross Munnelly converted his first free of the evening.
St. Ledger landed his first point from play in the 38th minute before a fourth Brian Murphy point pushed Carlow in front for the first time since the tenth minute.
Laois were under pressure at this stage with Carlow beginning to look for goals. Laois goalkeeper Eoin Culliton had to advance off his line in the 46th minute to stop a shot, with full-back Kieran Lillis blocking a subsequent effort from Brian Murphy.
Laois manager Justin McNulty reacted with a host of changes as they tried to kill off the Barrowsiders' challenge. Paul Cahillane and MJ Tierney were introduced with Darren Strong and Colm Kelly making way.
Laois eventually found an equaliser in the 54th minute thanks to a fisted point from O'Loughlin.
Full-forward Padraig Clancy added to the goal threat, but he was denied by Carlow full-back Conor Lawlor. Clancy managed to play the ball back to O'Loughlin who sent the ball over the crossbar.
Cahillane's first point put Laois 1-07 to 0-09 ahead, but further scores proved tough to get with the Carlow defence resolute.
Brendan Murphy then made a rare burst forward and although the visitors won a free, JJ Smith failed to convert it.
Laois moved two points clear with seven minutes remaining thanks to a Tierney effort, but Carlow still sensed that victory was possible.
However, both St. Ledger and half-back Tony Bolger squandered scoring chances. Tierney then put the hosts 1-09 to 0-09 ahead with 70 minutes on the clock.
With at least four minutes of injury-time to follow there was still a chance for Carlow, but Laois continued to find scores with David Conway opening up a four-point gap.
Carlow pressed hard late on with St. Ledger and Smith looking for openers, but their hopes of a first Championship win over Laois since 1988 faded.
Scorers -
Laois: J O'Loughlin 1-01, C Kelly 0-03 (0-01f), MJ Tierney 0-02 (0-01f), R Munnelly (0-01f), D Conway, B Quigley, P Cahillane (0-01f) 0-01 each
Carlow: B Murphy 0-04 (0-01f), D St. Ledger 0-03 (0-02f), JJ Smith 0-02 (0-02f)
LAOIS: E Culliton; C Healy, K Lillis, J Kavanagh; D Strong, C Begley, C Boyle; K Meaney, B Quigley; D O'Connor, J O'Loughlin, G Walsh; R Munnelly, P Clancy, C Kelly.
Subs used: D Conway for Walsh (29 mins), P Cahillane for Strong (43), MJ Tierney for Kelly (49).
CARLOW: T O'Reilly; P Murphy, C Lawlor, B Kavanagh; K Nolan, B Lambe, T Bolger; Brendan Murphy, D Foley; Brian Murphy, P Reid, E Ruth; JJ Smith, S Gannon, D St. Ledger.
