A five-minute scoring blitz midway through the second half which yielded 2-4 proved decisive for Laois in Tullamore. Dublin, playing against the strong wind, trailed 1-4 to 1-6 at half-time. A fine punched goal by Peter Murtagh off Niall Crossan's centre had given them a 1-4 to 0-3 lead, but with after 26 minutes a pot shot by Laois wing back Niall Collins slipped through the hands of Dublin goalkeeper Keith Gorman.

Dublin levelled the scores four minutes into the second half, but Laois suddenly moved up a gear. A brace of goals by Gary Kavanagh and Tom Kelly came within less than a minute of each other and four points without reply followed, leaving Dublin trailing by 10 points.

A great individual goal by Jonathan Magee sparked a Dublin revival, and amidst growing excitement they reeled off four points whilst conceding only one. But they shot a couple of costly wides and Laois hung on.

LAOIS: R Darby; JP Kehoe, K Fitzpatrick, J Higgins; N Collins (1-0), D Conroy (0-1), P Langton; M Delaney, N Garvan (0-1); S Kelly, C Conway (0-4), T Kelly (1-2); B McDonald, D Doogue (0-2), G Kavanagh (1-1).

DUBLIN: K Gorman; M Breathnach, B O'Toole, G O'Connell; C Moran, S Ryan, P Andrews; K Darcy (0-1), J Magee (1-2); P Murtagh (1-0), A O'Brien, D O'Brien; W McCarthy (0-3), E Crennan (0-1), N Crossan (0-1). Subs: F Kiely for A O'Brien; C Doyle (0-2) for D O'Brien.

Referee: B White (Wexford).