Dublin finished powerfully to see off an impressive Laois by 2-21 to 2-10 at O'Moore Park.

The final scoreline doesn't quite reflect how much of a scare the defending Leinster and All-Ireland champions received tonight but they fired over a succession of brilliant scores to win by eleven points in the end.

Such an outcome looked highly unlikely when the losers moved into a 2-9 to 1-11 lead four minutes into the second half, having reeled off five on the trot, but Dublin stepped on the turbo to outscore them by 1-10 to 0-1 in the remainder of the game.

At the end of a brilliant opening half-hour of football, Dessie Farrell's side led by three points, 1-11 to 2-5. Alan Farrell and Tom Shiel bagged the first-half goals for the underdogs, while Killian O'Gara chipped in with 1-3 for the defending champions before the break.

The Dubs absolutely flew out of the blocks with five points inside the opening four minutes; Michael Deegan (2), Shane Carthy, Niall Scully and Killian O'Gara provided those scores.

Evan O'Carroll slotted the hosts' first score and Shiel converted a free before Dublin goalkeeper Lorcan Molloy denied Eoin Lowry an equalising goal. The holders went straight up to the other end and O'Gara - younger brother of senior star Eoghan - found the net in the tenth minute to double the gap, 1-5 to 0-2.

O'Gara and Scully both stepped up with their second points while, in between those scores, the O'Moore County registered their first goal through Farrell.

Ballyboden's Colm Basquel saw his point cancelled out by Daniel O'Reilly and the midlanders were right back in the game with seven minutes left in the first half when Shiel - hero of their preliminary-round win over Wexford last week - helped himself to another goal: 1-8 to 2-6.

A Scully free doubled the gap on 25 minutes and Basquel followed up with another 60 seconds later. O'Gara's third point ensured that the second Laois goal had effectively been wiped out within six minutes.

The home side got the last point of the first half to leave themselves within striking distance at the turnaround.

O'Carroll opened the second-half scoring and Shiel clipped over a free to close the margin to the minimum again before Paul Kingston tied the scores up for the first time with the O'Moore men's third point in as many minutes: 1-11 to 2-8.

Amazingly, O'Carroll fired Laois ahead in the 34th minute but the Dubs were level two minutes later when Scully won and converted a free. With O'Carroll wreaking havoc, the O'Moore County were now on top but they were guilty of three wides at a crucial juncture in the match.

O'Gara made them pay when he edged the holders back in front twelve minutes after the restart. Let off the hook, the Metropolitans now kicked on: Conor McHugh fisted a brace, Eric Lowndes pointed with his left peg and the other wing back Eoin Murchin also got on the scoreboard before McHugh's 51st-minute point left six between the teams, 1-18 to 2-9.

Last year's All-Ireland final Man of the Match McHugh (free) grabbed his fourth point in seven minutes and Laois pulled back a consolation point three minutes from the end. But McHugh pointed in injury time and Carthy put the icing on the cake with a late, late goal as the Dubs marched through to a March 18th semi-final date with Longford.

Dublin - L Molloy; E Mullan, D Byrne, R McGowan; E Lowndes (0-1), C Mullally, E Murchin (0-1); Stephen Cunningham, S Carthy (1-1); R Gaughan, M Deegan (0-2), N Scully (0-4, 2f); K O'Gara (1-3), C McHugh (0-6, 1f), C Basquel (0-2). Subs: N Walsh (0-1) for R Gaughan, D O Cathmhaoil for Stephen Cunningham, S Clayton for M Deegan, G Burke for C Basquel (BC), Shane Cunningham for N Scully, A Byrne for K O'Gara.

Laois - A O'Reilly; L Knowles, K Lennon, C Dunne; P O'Sullivan, C Hogan, D O'Reilly (0-1); E O'Carroll (0-3), P Kingston (0-2); N Murphy, J Moore, A Farrell (1-0); T Shiel (1-3, 0-3f), E Lowry, E Keane (0-1). Subs: N Mullen for N Murphy, R C Fennell for C Dunne, C Maher for E Keane, D Hickey for A Farrell, E Buggie for C Hogan.

Referee - S Murphy.

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