Evan O'Carroll inspires Laois to victory over Wexford

STAR TURN: Laois' Evan O'Carroll. File pic: INPHO/Laszlo Geczo

Laois 1-18 Wexford 1-13

Laois full-forward Evan O'Carroll turned in an almost flawless performance as he inspired his side to an eventual five point victory over Wexford in their Allianz National Football League Division 4 game at Laois Hire O'Moore Park, Portlaoise, on Sunday afternoon.

He kicked 1-4 in total, the goal arriving as early as the eleventh minute when he availed of a mix-up in the Wexford defence, to carry the ball through the centre before finishing low to the net giving advancing keeper Craig McCabe no chance.

Laois, determined to build on their opening round victory over Sligo, had a spectacular start to the game racing into a 1-6 to 0-2 lead inside the opening twenty minutes despite playing into a stiff breeze.

Centre-forward Paul Kingston also got in on the early scoring act with some fine points, while Wexford, after taking an opening minute lead through Glen Malone, could only muster one further point during this opening spell with a superb Sean Nolan effort off the wing.

When it appeared as if Laois were in total command, the accuracy of freetaker Mark Rossiter hauled them back into contention, while a neat Colm Kinsella goal after twenty-six minutes helped complete a remarkable recovery to send the sides in level 1-7 each at the interval.

It had taken a supreme effort from Wexford to haul themselves back into the game, but then Laois started the second half in impressive fashion with three unanswered points through O'Carroll (2) and Eoin Lowry. Rossiter pointed frees kept Wexford in the game, but with Mark Barry and Paul Kingston also finding the target, Laois still led by 1-13 to 1-10 after fifty minutes.

Wexford through Rossiter points reduced the deficit to the minimum, 1-13 to 1-12 with ten minutes remaining, but it was Laois who finished strongest with four Barry points along with a Kingston effort to maintain their one hundred per cent start to the campaign.

Scorers for Laois: E O'Carroll 1-4 (1f, 1m), M Barry 0-6 (3f), P Kingston 0-6, (4f), K Lillis, E Lowry 0-1 each.

Scorers for Wexford: M Rossiter 0-10, (7f, 2, '45s), C Kinsella 1-0; G Malone, S Nolan, K O'Grady 0-1 each.

Laois: S Osborne; S Greene, T Collins, R Piggott; S O'Flynn, M Timmons, B Byrne; K Lillis, J Finn; M Barry, P Kingston, P O'Sullivan; E Lowry, E O'Carroll, N Corbet. 

Subs: K Swayne for Corbet (48), L Walker for Lowry (55), P Kirwan for O'Flynn (66), C Burke for Finn (72).

Wexford: C McCabe; B Cushe, B Molloy, M Furlong; P Hughes, D Lyons, G Sheehan; G Malone, N Hughes; S Nolan, E Nolan, C Kinsella; K O'Grady, B Brosnan, M Rossiter. 

Subs: D Furlong for Sheehan (inj. ht), C Walsh for Nolan (inj. ht), C Hughes for Brosnan (50), J Tubritt for Kinsella (58), C Carthy for O'Grady (69).

Referee: C Maguire (Clare).