Wexford 1-14 Laois 0-14:It wasn't a goal of beauty by any means but it was still a Matty Forde special which proved enough to separate the sides at the finish as Wexford held out for a deserved three-point victory in this O'Byrne Cup senior football opening round game at Enniscorthy yesterday.
Wexford were trailing by three points with just two minutes gone in the second half when Forde collected a long ball to the right of the large square, swivelled around his marker, and somehow managing to stab the ball to the low right-hand corner of the net as he was being dragged to the ground.
The goal galvanised an up to then lethargic Wexford side for they went on to play their best football for the remainder of the game.
They managed to stifle a dominant Laois midfield as they fashioned a surprise victory with some excellent forward play, with Paraic Curtis, Ben Brosnan, Shane Roche and Forde hugely impressive in attack during this second-half spell.
Laois looked at the pace of the game from the outset as early points from Donie Brennan, Michael Tierney from a free, and Brennan again had them 0-3 to 0-0 clear after just eight minutes.
They looked the sharper side with Donal Miller dominant in midfield, while Tierney and Brennan looked a real threat in attack, as they capitalised on the height and skill of full forward Brendan Quigley.
Laois led 0-6 to 0-2 after 24 minutes, but then a Brosnan point and two from Roche had the home side back in contention.
It was a Tierney pointed free that left the visitors leading 0-7 to 0-5 at the interval.
After Forde's early second-half goal, Wexford struck back for two further points through Brosnan and Forde.
Tierney then sparked a Laois revival with three unanswered points, two from frees, to edge his side back in front by 0-11 to 1-7 after 47 minutes of play.
Little separated the sides for the remainder of the game but two Forde points, one from a free, and one each from Curtis and Roche once again eased Wexford three points clear, 1-11 to 0-11, with 14 minutes remaining.
Despite a late Laois surge the Wexford defence held firm in the closing minutes as they avenged last year's provincial championship defeat at the hands of the same opposition.
WEXFORD:A Masterson; W Atkinson, M Gahan, D Walsh; N O'Sullivan, B Malone, C Morris; B Doyle, C Byrne; P Curtis (0-2),R Barry, S Roche (0-3); B Brosnan (0-3),S Banville, M Forde (1-6, 0-3 frees). Subs:N Murphy for Atkinson, J Hudson for Banville, A Doyle for Gahan.
LAOIS:C Gorman; A Fennelly, M Timmons, R Stapleton; B McCormack, C Ryan, P O'Leary; D Miller, K Meaney; S Conlon, M Tierney (0-8, seven frees), B Sheehan (0-1); D Brennan (0-3),B Quigley, P Dunne. Subs: B Fitzgerald (0-2, frees)for Dunne, S Conroy for Conlon.
Referee: N Cocoman(Dublin).
