The Arles forward sidled up to hit the insurance point after 39 second-half minutes from a placed ball, his fourth free, to condemn the Royals, who had Trevor Giles and Ollie Murphy back in action, to their second away loss of the season.

Wing forward Michael Lawlor opened the scoring on 4 minutes and a 25-metre effort from Tom Kelly soon after doubled Laois’ lead.

Meath’s Hank Traynor cried off with a hamstring injury before the match but the Royals managed to run up a 1-4 tally by the 17th minute.

Quick fire points from Joe Sheridan, Ray Magee and Brian Farrell (0-2) were added to by a punched Sheridan goal, his third goal of the campaign, from an Evan Kelly cross.

Laois rallied through Munnelly, who ended the half with three frees and one point from play, with corner back Kevin Fitzpatrick also scoring as the deficit was brought back to 0-6 to 1-6 in Meath’s favour.

Brian ‘Beano’ McDonald hit over his first point early in the second half as the Laois revival moved up a gear with another Tom Kelly point and a Fitzpatrick goal, brilliantly laid off by McDonald.

The Leinster champions could have had a second but for Meath goalkeeper David Gallagher’s stunning save from a Noel Garvan effort. Evan Kelly and Sheridan had pointed Meath into a 1-9 to 0-10 lead on 49 minutes.