Laois silenced the doubters with a deserved victory over a poor 14-man Fermanagh side in Brewster Park.
Two late points from corner forward Mark Barry sealed the deal for Laois in a thrilling finish as they advance to the Taliteann Cup quarter-finals.
But delighted O'Moore county boss Billy Sheehan hit out at the doubters in his own county after the county threw a big lead to draw with lowly London.
"It's a big boost for Laois and for the players who have been taking abuse from clubs, social media and from everyone and all that matters is that we won.
"We have a small travelling support, and they are brilliant.
"They go to all the games, and we are thrilled with them and we know the rest are just abusing us so it is good to give a reply to that as well.
"In the London game we were ahead by seven points and we were ahead by six points against Offaly so we always knew that this performance was in the lads."
Fermanagh got off to thundering start when full back Che Cullen went on a scintillating 70 metre solo run before landing a superb left-footed point for the home side after two minutes, but they failed to build on this good start as Laois settled quickly and levelled from a Barry free.
Laois looked like a side determine to banish the London blues where they were held to a draw, and went in front through Paul Kingston in the eighth minute.
Shane McGullion had a chance of a goal for the hosts, but blazed over the bar in the 10th minute.
That was to be their last score for 15 minuets as a much hungrier Laois carved holes in the Fermanagh defence.
Full-forward Evan O'Carroll regained the lead for the O’Moore county from a mark, and they almost had a goal in the 16h minute when it took a brilliant block from Ryan Lyons stopped a certain goal from a Damon Larkin rasper.
The ball broke to centre back Mark Timmons and he first-timed the ball over the bar.
Dominant Laois could have had another goal two minutes later but Colm Murphy slammed the ball over the bar when a goal looked on as they led by 0-5 to 0-2.
Fermanagh almost netted three minutes later when Johnny Cassidy sent Shane McGullion through, but his bulleted effort cannoned off the crossbar to safety.
Ryan Lyons did manage a point when he too might have had a goal as the ball flew over the Laois bar.
But it was the visitors who were making all the plays and O’Carroll swung over a great left-footed point.
Disaster struck for the home side when midfielder Ryan Jones was red-carded following an incident with Laois midfielder Damon Larkin.
McGullion did manage to narrow the gap in the run up to the break when he pointed from an acute angle to leave the towering Leinster men leading by 0-6 to 0-4 at the interval.
Fermanagh upped their game in the third quarter and hit four points on the bounce from Luke Flanagan, Conor McGee, Ryan Lyons and Brandon Horan in the third quarter to lead by 0-8 to 0-6.
But they were rocked by a great solo goal from veteran Laois centre back Mark Timmons who made it 1-6 to 0-8.
O'Carroll increased the lead for Laois before a great Ultan Kelm run and shot broke to Sean Quigley who found the back of the net. Bizarrely, the gifted forward was then taken off as both sides slugged it out to the finish.
Paul Kingston levelled matters from a soft free before Fermanagh missed two easy chances from Kelm and Conor McShea
Kingston converted another free before Lyons levelled matters three minutes from time.
But Laois made the extra man count with Barry's late scores, and emerged as deserved winners as the fans roundly booed Sligo referee Barry Judge as he was escorted from the pitch.
Fermanagh: Sean McNally; Luke Flanagan (0-1) Che Cullen (0-1), Lee Cullen; Shane McGullion (0-2) Johnny Cassidy, Declan McCusker; Ryan Jones Brandon Horan (0-1); Aidan Breen, Ryan Lyons (0-3), Ronan McCaffrey; Ultan Kelm, Tommy McCaffrey, Sean Quigley (1-0).
Subs: Garvan Jones for Tommy McCaffey (25), Conor McGee (0-1), for Aidan Breen (28), Conor McShea for Sean Quigley (56) Josh Largo Ellis for Declan McCusker (61) Ciaran Corrigan for Shane McGullion (70)
Laois: Killian Roche; Sean Greene, Trevor Collins, Robert Piggott; Padraig Kirwan, Mark Timmons (1-2) Patrick O’Sullivan; Kieran Lillis, Damon Larkin; Colm Murphy (0-1) Paul Kingston (0-3f), James Finn; Mark Barry (0-2f) Evan O’Carroll (0-3) Eoin Lowry.
Subs: Kevin Swayne for Colm Murphy (54) Sean O’Flynn for Padraig Kirwan (56), Dylan Kavanagh for Mark Timmons (58), Nial Corbett for James Finn (72).
Referee: Barry Judge (Sligo)
