Laois overturned a ten-point interval deficit to beat Wexford by 2-21 to 1-18 AET in a Wexford Park thriller.

In the most remarkable start to this year's Leinster football championship, the Model County - channelling the spirit of 1918 - delivered a sensational first-half display to look all but home and hosed at the break, but John Sugrue's men refused to give up and roared back to seal a quarter-final date with Westmeath in a fortnight.

This roller-coaster game played in front of 2,600 spectators in the sunny south east had the most unbelievable ending to normal time when, having seen their ten-point half-time lead wiped out, Wexford were awarded a 74^th-minute penalty. Donal Shanley opted to chip the ball over the bar to surely fire his side through to the last eight. But play continued longer than expected thereafter and corner back Gareth Dillon hit an unlikely equaliser deep into added time at the end of injury time to force extra time.

As is so often the case, extra time was largely one-way traffic as Darren Strong blasted over the bar to fire the victors ahead for the first time before Kieran Lillis delivered their second goal and Trevor Collins fisted them five clear. Captain Stephen Attride cancelled out a Shanley free to leave five between them at half time in extra time.

Brothers Paul (2) and Donie Kingston added to the winning tally during the second ten-minute period, with Shanley (free) and Darragh Pepper replying for Paul McLoughlin's men, who came oh so close to a famous win but are instead into the Qualifiers.

The losers led by an unbelievable ten points at the short whistle, 1-10 to 0-3, after completely dominating the opening period. They scored the first eight points and didn't concede until the 23rd minute. Laois didn't score from play in the first half.

Captain Daithi Waters got the hosts off to a great start with an instant point off his left boot after gathering the throw-in and John Tubritt - a late addition to the starting XV - quickly doubled the difference. Incredibly, wing back Glen Malone was on hand to make it three points to no score inside four minutes.

Shanley stretched the gap from a tenth-minute free and Conor Swaine bravely denied David Conway a Laois goal before Shanley drilled over a sumptuous free from 45 metres out close to the sideline. Tubritt hammered over his second at the start of the second quarter and it was 0-8 to no score after 22 minutes, with Shanley (free) and Tubritt each grabbing their third score.

A Gary Walsh free opened Laois' account twelve minutes from the break and a Ross Munnnely free reduced the arrears further but centre back Naomhan Rossiter rounded Laois' fly goalkeeper Brody at the other end to supply a 26^th-minute Model major - 1-8 to 0-2!

James Stafford took his point to leave ten between them and Swaine pulled over another excellent save for the inspired Slaneysiders before Shane Doyle cancelled out a Munnelly free as the hosts led by ten at the break.

Laois wing back Attride hit the first score of the second half and David Conway added another before a Donie Kingston free reduced the arrears to seven after 38 minutes.

Shanley converted a '45' after Brody denied Tiernan Rossiter and Tubritt registered his fourth point in response to a Munnelly brace as the hosts led by seven points after 45 minutes, 1-12 to 0-8.

A 48^th-minute Kingston free pared the deficit back to six and Donie and substitute Paul Kingston both pointed either side of a Shanley free as the wind-assisted midlanders eased within four with 54 minutes played. Munnelly's excellent point made it 1-13 to 0-13 after 58 minutes as the tension mounted.

Donie Kingston cut inside to thump over an inspirational Laois point off his left boot on the hour and - with the match hanging in the balance - Damien O'Connor sidefooted another Laois goal chance narrowly wide six minutes from the end.

Tubritt's fifth point made it a three-point game but Kingston kept his cool to equalise from a penalty two minutes from the end of normal time after Niall Donoher was hauled down - 1-14 each. Shanley seemed to have won it for the Model County when he took his point from the penalty spot after Attride felled Brian Malone in the fourth minute of stoppage time, but Dillon got on the end of a desperate last-gasp Laois move - with Brody also involved - to equalise.

Laois kicked on from there to complete a remarkable 16-point turnaround and, after a sluggish start, the ultimate nature of this victory will send them in against Westmeath with a real spring in their collective steps.

Laois - G Brody; R C Fennell, M Timmons, G Dillon (0-1); T Collins (0-1), C Begley, S Attride (0-2); J O'Loughlin, K Lillis (1-0); A Farrell, D Kingston (1-6, 1-0pen, 0-3f), D O'Connor; R Munnelly (0-5, 2f), D Conway (0-1), G Walsh (0-1). Subs: B Carroll for G Walsh, N Donoher for A Farrell, P Kingston (0-3) for R C Fennell, D Strong (0-1) for D Conway, T Sheil for R Munnelly, F Crowley for D O'Connor, D Booth for G Dillon, D Holland for T Collins.

Wexford - C Swaine; M Furlong, J Rossiter, C Carty; G Malone (0-1), N Rossiter (1-0), S Doyle (0-1); B Malone, D Waters; J Stafford (0-1), B Brosnan (0-1), E Nolan; P Curtis, D Shanley (0-9, 6f, 0-1pen, 1'45), J Tubritt (0-4). Subs: T Rossiter for P Curtis, A Nolan for J Rossiter, E Porter for B Brosnan, N Doyle for J Stafford, B O'Gorman for N Doyle, D Shannon for T Rossiter, J Stafford for B O'Gorman, D Pepper (0-1) for A Nolan.

Referee - M McNally.

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