Hope springs eternal for Wicklow football, but significant results remain as difficult to attain as ever. Failure to be incisive with good possession cost them dearly against reigning All-Ireland champions Laois, who were flattered with a seven-point winning margin in the Leinster minor final at Croke Park on Saturday. Having failed to do themselves justice on the scoreboard against opposition that had only two survivors from last year's All-Ireland-winning team, it all went very wrong for the Wicklow youths during injury time at the end of the second half.

Laois midfielder Darren Rooney hit the insurance point for a four-point advantage two minutes into injury time. A day of woe for the Wicklow left corner back Tom Burke was completed just before the final whistle when a rebound struck off his body and into the net for a sickening own goal.

Laois substitute Mark Hovendon had delivered the original probing lob that came back off the right post.

Earlier Burke had been pushed in the back - without getting a free - in the run up to Laois's first goal, which was scored by Kieran Kelly (who hadn't done the pushing) 24 minutes into the second half.

Stephen Cushe had a tremendous work rate in midfield for Wicklow, and his hard work was reflected elsewhere in a determined side. Alan Ellis always looked a dangerous target man.

However, Brian Hickey's roaming tactics in the Wicklow attack only worked to a degree. Tom Mulligan, like too many other Laois defenders, had his job made that bit easier by sluggish use of good Wicklow possession. There was further evidence that it was not going to be Wicklow's day when Keith Furlong cracked a great shot off the crossbar in the first half.

Brian McDonald and Stephen Kelly, Laois's two survivors from last year's team, provided significant contributions for Laois, and accounted for nine points between them.