Laois missed a penalty and a host of other goal chances but still did enough to defeat Sligo in O'Moore Park on Saturday evening.
Justin McNulty's charges began Division 3 with just one point from their games against Limerick and Wexford - the latter being a massive 14-point defeat.
But this was a completely different performance from the home side who, despite a slow start, dominated the contest and fully deserved their win.
Seven points separated the teams in the end as Laois, led by the exploits of their full-forward line of Evan O'Carroll, Daragh Galvin and Rioghan Murphy who contributed 15 points between them, won well.
Sligo came into the game off the back of a big win over Fermanagh in Round 2 and were oozing with confidence as Pat Spillane, Canice Mulligan and Jack Lavin moved them three clear early on.
It was a worrying start for the home side who were playing with the aid of a gale-force wind but they soon found their form and went on to score 12 points without reply.
Murphy, O'Carroll and captain Brian Byrne all kicked two-pointers as they turned the screw and moved nine points clear before a mistake at the back allowed Sligo corner-back Luke Casserly to score the game's only goal on the stroke of the half hour.
Laois had the chance to respond before half time when Murphy was fouled but O'Carroll struck the post with the resulting penalty and it remained 0-12 to 1-03 on the hooter.
Sligo now had the wind and the signs were good for them as a punched effort from Mulligan and a two-pointer from Lavin saw them cut the gap to three points with 45 minutes on the clock.
But Laois regrouped again as Murphy pointed and then O'Carroll kicked a brace which made it 0-15 to 1-07 after 53 minutes and the home side never looked back.
Sligo went for two-pointers but their accuracy was off as a Niall Murphy free was all they managed before the final whistle.
Laois saw out the game with scores from O'Carroll and sub Paul Kingston to secure a valuable first win of the season.
Laois: Killian Roche; Ben Dempsey, Trevor Collins, Jack Lacey; Kevin Swayne, Simon Fingleton, Paddy O'Sullivan; Conor Heffernan, Rob Tyrrell; Mikie Dempsey, Brian Byrne (0-02, 1tp), Josh Hogan; Rioghan Murphy (0-06, 1tp, 1f), Daragh Galvin (0-03), Evan O’Carroll (0-06, 1tp, 1f).
Subs: Darren Brennan for Hogan (40), Paul Kingston (0-01) for M Dempsey (47), Jake Darcy for Lacey (54), Ciaran Burke for Tyrell (67), Alex Mohan for B Dempsey (69).
Sligo: Aidan Devaney; Tommy Ross, Evan Lyons, Luke Casserly (1-00); Ross Doherty, Paul Kilcoyne, Jack Lavin (0-03, 1tp); Canice Mulligan (0-02), Luke Towey; James Donlon, Niall Murphy (0-01, 1f), Cian Lally; Alan McLoughlin, Lee Deignan, Pat Spillane (0-01).
Subs: Conor Sheridan for Kilcoyne (ht), Josh Flynn (0-01) for McLoughlin (44), Alan Moloney for Spillane (47), Paddy O’Connor for Doherty (47), David Quinn for Deignan (54),
Referee: Thomas Murphy (Galway).
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