Wicklow have blown the race for promotion from Division 4 of the Allianz Football League wide open after handing Laois a 2-12 to 2-10 defeat at O’Moore Park tonight.

Oisin McConville’s men had travelled to Portlaoise as 5/1 outsiders but goals from Jack Kirwan and JP Hurley helped them to tear up the script against the hosts and jump up to joint second in the table.

Kirwan’s goal had come at the perfect time for the Garden County, after Mark Barry’s free had dropped into their net earlier on, and saw the visitors trail by just one at the half (1-4 to 1-3).

Kieran Lillis and Eoin Lowry shot points early in the resumption for Wicklow and they’d move three in front before a brace via Paul Kingston and one from Kevin Swayne levelled matters at 1-12 apiece with seven minutes to go.

Wicklow outscored their O’Moore counterparts 0-4 to 0-1 as the game entered injury-time and Hurley’s strike would settle the issue for them despite Barry firing home a late penalty at the other end.

Earlier at the SETU Arena in Carriganore, Wexford would be comfortable in a 2-12 to 1-6 win against Waterford.

The winless Deise men got off to the perfect start thanks to Darragh Corcoran’s goal after eight minutes but Mark Rossiter would net a major of his own in 21 minutes as the Model men went towards a 1-5 to 1-3 half-time lead.

Brian Molloy grabbed the Slaneysiders’ second goal in the 49th minute and there’d be no coming back for the hosts from there as they saw Conor Murray sent off in the closing stages after an off-the-ball incident with Conor Carty.

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