The Laois senior footballers have been promoted to Allianz Football League Division 3 and qualified for the Division 4 league final in Croke Park next weekend.
That is after Justin McNulty's men absolutely obliterated Waterford by a 5-19 to 0-09 margin in the impressive SETU Waterford complex on Sunday afternoon.
Laois will now face Leitrim in the final in Croke Park next weekend. That is after they beat Tipperary while Wexford defeated Longford which saw Leitrim advance on the head-to-head rule.
This top v bottom clash was no contest from the start with Laois 20 points up before Waterford scored in the 25th minute.
Laois took six minutes to score but once Mark Barry put them ahead from distance, the game was over as a contest around 90 seconds later.
Kieran Lillis was fouled from the resulting kick out. Eoin Buggie found Mark Barry from the free who picked out Evan O’Carroll and he danced by several defenders before rattling the net.
And the green flag was waving soon again just after and again the move started with Lillis. He switched the play with a long kick pass and found Paul Kingston who played Eoin Lowry through on goal with a superb hand pass over his shoulder. Lowry took the unselfish action and passed the ball across the box to Mark Barry who fired home.
Paul Kingston and Shaun Fitzpatrick added points and Laois had the ball in the net again after 14 minutes. Evan O’Carroll kicked an arrow of a long pass to Paul Kingston who cut inside his man and found the onrushing Barry in space. The latter came onto the ball and smashed it in off the underside of the bar.
Barry added two points and Laois then had a fourth goal right at the mid-point of the first half. Waterford coughed up possession in their own half and Evan O’Carroll found Paul Kingston in front of goal and he made no mistake. The captain then punched one over and Laois now led 4-06 to no score.
O’Carroll added two more to move Laois 20 points clear before Waterford finally scored in the 25th minute – a Tom O’Connell mark.
O’Connell kicked a free and then their first score from play arrived via midfielder Jason Curry. But Laois had the final say as sub Rioghan Murphy slotted a free to leave it 4-09 to 0-03 at half time. Brian Daly and Stephen Curry swapped points when play resumed before Laois had their fifth goal when Rioghan Murphy won a high ball and raced clear to score.
Paul Kingston kicked two more points and keeper Killian Roche got in on the act as Donie Fitzgerald replied with two in between for the hosts.
Jason Curry added a free but Laois led by 5-14 to 0-07 as the game entered the final quarter and the rain began to pour.
Laois kicked on again in the time that remained to win by 25 in the end.
Laois: Killian Roche (0-02, 1f, '45); Ben Dempsey, Seamus Lacey, Jack Lacey; Eoin Buggie, Mark Timmons, Brian Byrne; Kieran Lillis, Damon Larkin; Kevin Swayne, Eoin Lowry (0-02, 2f), Shaun Fitzpatrick; Mark Barry (2-03), Evan O’Carroll (1-03), Paul Kingston (1-03). Subs: Rioghan Murphy (1-01, 1f) for Barry and Brian Daly (0-02, 1m) for O'Carroll (both 25), Niall Dunne (0-01) for Fitzpatrick and Simon Fingleton for Timmons (both ht), Conor Heffernan (0-01) for Lillis (52).
Waterford: Paudie Hunt; Conor O Cuirrin, Caoimhin Walsh, Conor McCarthy; Billy O'Keeffe, Dermot Ryan, Robbie McGrath; Michael Curry, Jason Curry (0-04, 3f); William Beresford, Michael Mullaney, James Power; Stephen Curry (0-01, 1m), Tom O'Connell (0-02, 1f, 1m), Alan Dunwoody. Subs: Aaron Beresford for Hunt, Donie Fitzgerald (0-02) for Ryan, James Walsh for O'Connell and Billy Hynes for W Beresford (all ht), Jack Keane for Mullaney (55)
Referee: David Hickey (Carlow)
Carlow 1-17 London 1-10
Carlow eased to a seven-point win against London at Netwatch Cullen Park.
The hosts raced into a healthy 0-06 to 0-01 lead by the 20th minute, with Conor Doyle (2), Ross Dunphy, Conor Crowley, Colm Hulton and Aaron Amond all splitting the posts.
London did muster a response through Ciaran Diver, Liam Gallagher and Patrick Dolan but they trailed by 0-08 to 0-03 at the break.
The Exiles made a fast start to the second half, Gareth McDowell and Diver pointing to trim the deficit to three points.
However, Carlow went up a gear after that, and when Hulton lashed in a fine goal on 64 minutes they were 1-15 to 0-08 to the good.
Ruairí Rafferty found the net for London in response but it was merely a consolation as Carlow comfortably closed it out.
