Football round-up: Wexford will contest a first Leinster football final in 52 years after blowing Laois away with a 0-18 to 0-12 win at a blustery Croke Park this afternoon.
Predictably, Matty Forde (six points) made a telling contribution after struggling to find his range early on but the former All-Star was well supported by the likes of PJ Banville and Redmond Barry.
Given the conditions, Jason Ryan's side sensibly opted to eschew the long ball game, instead preferring to keep it simple with short, effective interplay employed to carve out scoring opportunities.
Laois's Micheal Tierney was the first to come to terms with the conditions, firing over the opening two scores after a succession of wides. But Wexford soon go a foothold in the game, and deserved to take a 0-8 to 0-6 lead into the break.
And when the sides returned after the interval, Wexford turned the screw as they fashioned a six-point lead.
The introduction of Colm Kelly, who chipped in with three points, gave Laois fresh impetus. However, Wexford steadied the ship with scores from Forde and Banville calming frayed nerves.
Laois had Padraig Clancy dismissed for an off-the-ball incident late on but by that stage it was all over bar the shouting.
Meanwhile, champions Sligo were well and truly dumped out of the Connacht championship as Mayo cut loose at McHale Park.
Mayo found the back of the net on three occasions - courtesy of Pat Harte, Trevor Mortimer and Aidan Kilcoyne - as they ran out comfortable 3-11 to 0-7 winners.
Sligo, who go straight into the Tommy Murphy Cup, were well shackled by the Mayo defence with Mark Breheny and David Kelly the only two players in black to trouble the scorers.
Wexford: 1. A Masterson; 4. B Malone, 3. P Wallace, 2. N Murphy; 5. A Morrissey (0-2), 6. D Murphy, 7. C Morris (capt.); 8. T Howlin, 14. B Doyle (0-1); 11. R Barry (0-3), 9. E Bradley (0-1), 12. A Flynn; 13. C Lyng (0-1), 15. M Forde (0-6, two 45s), 10. PJ Banville (0-3). Subs: 18. D Walsh for N Murphy (46 mins), 27. S Roche (0-1) for Flynn (56 mins), 25. R Stafford for Howlin (63 mins), 30. C Byrne for Doyle (68 mins).
Laois: 1. M Nolan; 3. M Timmons (0-1), 4. J Higgins, 2. C Healy; 5. T Kelly, 6. D Rooney (capt.), 7. P McMahon (0-1); 8. K Meaney, 9. J O'Loughlin; 10. R Munnelly (0-1, free), 11. B McCormack, 12. B Sheehan; 13. M Tierney (0-2, one free), 20. C Parkinson (0-4), 15. P Lawlor. Subs: 17. P Clancy for Meaney (15 mins), 18. P O'Leary for McCormack (27 mins), 30. B Quigley for Sheehan (half-time), 25. D Brennan for Tierney (54 mins), 24. C Kelly (0-3, one free) for Lawlor (57 mins).