Laois became fully paid up members of an elite group of counties to win back-to-back All-Ireland minor football titles at Croke Park yesterday. Their victory over favourites Tyrone conclusively gave the lie to the notion that they would not go the whole way with only two members of last year's champion side.

Match hero Stephen Kelly, who was one of the survivors of last year's historic side and who operated in the winners' half forward line alongside his twin brother Tommy, claimed "nobody had given us a chance and it had been generally like that before most of our matches this year".

Team manager Ollie Phelan, who, along with co-selectors Martin Parkinson and Ger Kelly, can be proud of a job well done in preparing this well-drilled side, had one word of warning for senior selectors who may be in a poaching mood: "I don't want to see any of these lads pushed into senior football too soon," he said.

But the real value of double success at this level is bound to have a spin-off effect for Laois football as a whole.

The Leinster champions got off to a dream start with a goal as early as the 33rd second, the result of a smooth move that was polished off to the net by corner forward Mark Hovenden.

It was a huge boost and helped the side to settle against the wind but it was a lead that had been eroded by the ninth minute. Not only that but Mark Harte, a son of the Tyrone manager Mick, booted a huge 50-yard point off his left foot for the lead moments later.

Suddenly, Tyrone began to endorse their favourites' tag. Declan Crossan, Cormac McAnallen and Kevin Hughes took control of the midfield area; Joe Campbell, on the right flank, grew in menace to the Laois defence, as did full forward Richard Thornton and Harte in the right corner.

Tyrone's wind-assisted waves of attack were impressive but it was notable that they were not attaining the scores they bargained for.

The Laois defence policed well without falling into the trap of fouling and conceding frees.

"Our backs did perform in a special way on the day. They had been told to challenge but not to foul and give away frees," said manager Phelan.

He was modest enough to say: "Only we got the breaks, the cup could be in the Tyrone dressing-room now."

But it was a little more than breaks that won it for the well-organised and unified Laois side, despite Gareth Maguire's fumble that led to a decisive Laois goal by Stephen Kelly 20 minutes into the second half.

Kelly took his chance to fist the ball home when an initial shot was fumbled on the line by Maguire. The score gave Laois a two-goal advantage of 3-10 to 1-10.

By this time Tyrone had lost their shape playing into a wind which Stephen Kelly maintained had got stronger. Tyrone made untypical mistakes when trying to work the ball with too many passes out of defence. They were punished for their terrible habit of over-playing the ball.

Their manager Mick Harte said: "I agree we did overplay the ball and not only in the second half. I had warned the players against this gambit but I suppose when young fellows get out there they forget these things."

Had Laois lost the game there would, no doubt, have been a huge controversy regarding a second half "goal" they seemed to be denied of by umpires who may well have erred by not putting up the green flag. This happened early in the second half and not long after Tyrone had a goal in the 12th second of resuming.

Brian McDonald sent an untypically toothless shot towards Maguire who seemed to gather the ball from behind his line. Moments like this may have showed the Tyrone goalkeeper up in a poor light but he managed one particularly great save from Michael Lambe after the right winger was sent clear inside the Tyrone cover by a piece of Stephen Kelly magic.

It was a great minor final with the scores being level six times alone in the first half. They were level at half time, Laois 1-7 to 010 and the Leinster champions were in the happy position of having wind advantage for the second half.

Tyrone full forward Richard Thornton rocked Laois back on their heels seconds after the restart when set up by McAnallen for a great goal.

The Laois midfield of Brian Fitzpatrick and Darren Rooney warmed up fully to their task in the second half - both boys had highly influential.