Laois have sealed back-to-back promotions for the first time in their history after a dramatic win over Carlow.

Brandon Kavanagh’s name will be etched in the history books as the player who scored the first goal of Stephen Kenny’s international coming but the hope is they work together again in a competitive setting.

Longford champions St. Columba’s created history as they became the first club from the county to reach the Leinster Senior Club Final with a well deserved win over Carlow Champions Eire Og in Glennon Brothers Pearse Park.

Shamrock Rovers 2 Dundalk 5

John Sugrue was understandably pleased but sensibly restrained after watching his Laois side make the best of a strong start to see off neighbours Carlow and claim Division 4 honours.

Longford 2-13 Monaghan 1-13: Well, Monaghan can hardly say they weren’t forewarned. Twelve years ago, Denis Connerton brought an unfancied Longford outfit to Clones and plundered Monaghan’s home in the only previous championship meeting between these sides.

Cavan 2-13 Carlow 0-12: Hosts Cavan became one of a select group of counties to win an All-Ireland qualifier following the infamous six-day-turnaround.

Brendan Murphy kicked 1-4 and Darragh Foley eight points as Carlow enjoyed a convincing qualifier win over Wicklow.

A late surge of scoring for the second game running proved decisive for Louth as they cruised through to a mouth-watering Leinster SFC quarter-final clash with old rivals Meath.

Clare 1-20 Longford 1-9: Clare’s promotion aspirations are still on track after a merited 11-point win over visitors Longford at Cusack Park, Ennis yesterday.

Longford 1-9 Wicklow 1-5: A strong second-half performance saw Longford secure a home semi-final with O’Byrne Cup champions Dublin on Sunday.

O’Byrne Cup - Meath 1-18 Carlow 1-4: Meath recorded a resounding victory against hosts Carlow at Netwatch Cullen Park yesterday, with an early second-half goal from Mark Battersby sending them on their a facile victory.

Longford 2-15 Carlow 1-8: Three weeks on from their refusal to bow to pragmatism and shut up shop against Dublin, Longford’s commitment to attractive football finally paid off on Saturday.

Longford 0-16 Offaly 0-13: In a streaky game where both sides thrived on confidence, ultimately Offaly’s lack of self-belief cost them when they saw the finishing line.

Longford’s survival instincts served them well as they came from seven points adrift to oust Offaly in a keenly contested Leinster SFC clash at O’Connor Park in Tullamore.

Laois gained the expected upper hand in this local derby against Carlow to set up another battle for domestic bragging rights against Kildare in the Leinster quarter-final.

Offaly had way too much firepower for Longford and it was their more clinical finishing of better chances created that earned them the new Division 4 silverware.

Longford 1-18 Carlow 1-12: Longford full forward Brian Kavanagh kicked six points in a man-of-the-match performance as Longford maintained their unbeaten Division 4 record with a merited win over a plucky Carlow at Netwatch Cullen Park yesterday.

Carlow 0-11 Waterford 0-9

Carlow maintained their unbeaten run in Division 4 with a dramatic away win over Waterford at Fraher Field.

Carlow maintained their unbeaten run in Division 4 with a dramatic away win over Waterford at Fraher Field.

Allianz FL Division 4 Round 2: Carlow 2-9 London 0-13: Second-half goals from Hughie Gahan and Darragh O’Brien proved decisive as Carlow just held off the sustained challenge of London in this entertaining fog-shrouded NFL Division 4 tie at Netwatch Cullen Park yesterday.

Allianz FL Division 4 Round 2: Longford 0-14 Antrim 0-13: A free from the boot of Brian Kavanagh helped Longford to a narrow win over Antrim in their Division 4 clash played in foggy conditions at Glennon Brothers Pearse Park.

Antrim 1-12 Carlow 0-15: Allianz National Football League Division 4: The day was bright and brisk, but the football in yesterday’s Allianz NFL Division Four tussle at St Paul’s Complex in Belfast, didn’t match the conditions.

Carlow 3-08 Louth 1-12: Carlow’s footballers provided new boss Turlough O’Brien with a first win thanks to this merited two-points victory over Louth in yesterday’s O’Byrne Cup tie at Dr Cullen Park.

Westmeath 2-11 Longford 0-10: Two second-half goals helped Westmeath to victory over neighbours Longford in their final O’Byrne Cup group game.

Kildare 2-07 Carlow 1-09: An injury-time goal from Padraig Fogarty rescued an understrength and underwhelming Kildare in Athy last night.

Meath 1-17 Longford 1-09: Nine successive points at the start of the second-half set Meath on the road to victory at Páirc Tailteann last night.

O’Byrne Cup

Tipperary 2-17 Longford 0-6

Jack Sheedy’s Longford were bounced out of the All-Ireland senior football championship by Tipperary this afternoon.

Carlow 0-17 Waterford 1-13

Late points from sub Jack Kennedy and Daniel St Ledger sealed a remarkable come-from-behind victory for Carlow in this afternoon’s All-Ireland SFC round 1B qualifier against Waterford at Dr. Cullen Park.

Derry 2-14 Longford 2-16

An embarrassing oversight has prevented Waterford hurler Brian O’Sullivan from appealing a two-match ban. The forward picked up the suspension retrospectively following Waterford’s Munster SHC quarter-final defeat by Cork last Sunday week.

LEINSTER SFC QUARTER-FINAL:

Wexford 1-15 Longford 1-13

Kilkenny, who play Offaly in the Leinster SHC at Nowlan Park tomorrow (7pm), have made three changes from the league final win over Tipperary.

Longford 0-19 Offaly 0-15

London 2-7 Carlow 0-13