Laois injury-time equaliser sets up replay
Dublin began briskly and within five minutes were 0-4 to no 0-0 ahead. Laois had stalled on the blocks and with the Dublin forwards Shane Martin and captain Kevin Flynn, especially, slicing through a static rearguard at will, one feared for the game as a contest.
Inevitably, though, Laois shook away the cobwebs and James Young snapped over the first of his 11 points from a free to settle his side and a battle was on. Laois have become a far less physical side under Páidí Butler, but the increased temperature stirred the blood sufficiently for them to grasp the lead. It came after 20 minutes when Enda Maher’s clever cross-field pass found Damien Culleton, who showed a deceptive turn of pace to burst past his marker and fire into the net past Brendan McLoughlin. Advantage Laois, who went 1-3 to 0-5 in front.
