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LAOIS have given their hopes of surviving relegation from Division Three a substantial boost with a facile win over Wicklow in Aughrim.

A second-half goal from Evan O’Carroll was the cherry on the cake of a dominant performance.

The first-half started cagey, with Wicklow dropping up to 13 players back when off the ball while Laois probed for gap through which they could cause damage.

The opening score did not arrive until the fifth minute through Alan Dillon but, as Laois grew into the game, they wouldn’t score for another 20 minutes, despite the wind at their backs.

Wicklow, who were embarking on a new, interim era after Colin Kelly’s departure as manager, with Alan Costello and Gary Duffy taking charge, were found wanting throughout.

Nonetheless, they ended the half well enough, with Mark Jackson (two 45s), Alan Dillon and Eoin Murtagh sending them into the break trailing by just two.

Wicklow reduced the deficit to one through Alan Dillon early in the second-half, but that was a false dawn as Laois bossed the rest of the game both on and off the ball. Just eight minutes into the half, they had their goal, when a Danny Bolger free was punched back into the mixer by Mark Jackson, where O’Carroll put the ball into the back of the net.

They sliced Wicklow open on a regular basis down the left side through the electric Dylan Kavanagh, as Wicklow were forced to bring players out of their shape as they chased the game.

They notched another nine scores to reinforce their advantage, while the dogged Alex Mohan put in a sensational block on a goalbound JP Hurley effort.