Kildare hit Laois with a devastating second-half blitz to win by 3-18 to 1-11 in Tullamore tonight and progress to a semi-final meeting with defending Leinster champions Dublin.

This quarter-final replay looked like it was going to go all the way to the wire when the winners trailed by the odd point from 17 at the break. Astonishingly, however, Kildare subsequently outscored their shell-shocked opponents by 3-10 to 1-2 in the second half, with ten different players getting on the scoresheet.

Third-quarter goals from Eamonn Callaghan, Cathal McNally and the impressive Eoghan O'Flaherty turned the tide emphatically in the Lilywhites' favour as they hit their opponents for 3-7 (and conceded just 1-0) during a blistering 17-minute period after the restart.

Having played into the breeze, Laois led by 0-9 to 0-8 at half time, thanks largely to four points from Evan O'Carroll and three from Niall Donoher. Tomas O Flatharta's charges also passed up on two goal-scoring chances in the opening period, with Ross Munnelly (penalty) and Brendan Quigley both culpable. The sides were level no fewer than seven times before the short whistle.

Both teams started as selected during the week and came out of the blocks like Olympic sprinters, with Laois leading by three points to two after six minutes. Donoher opened the scoring but Padraig Fogarty replied before O'Carroll pointed twice (the first one flying mere inches over the crossbar) either side of a Paul Cribbin effort.

Donie Kingston won a Laois penalty in the tenth minute but Munnelly's tame left-footed effort was easily dealt with by Mark Donnellan. Quigley then spurned another presentable O'Moore County goal-scoring opportunity after Eoghan O'Flaherty and Donoher had exchanged points.

Wing back Kevin Murnaghan provided Kildare's fourth equaliser and O'Flaherty's unmissable 18th-minute free had Jason Ryan's charges in front for the first time. Kingston won and converted a free to tie the scores up yet again in the 27th minute.

Tom Shiel and Fogarty - with a stunning score - traded points and O'Carroll and Donoher each slotted their third points to leave two between the teams for the first time with four minutes left before the interval, 0-8 to 0-6.

But Gary White and O'Flaherty landed two wonderful strikes before O'Carroll's sumptuous 48-metre free separated the teams at the break.

Extraordinarily, Kildare notched 2-3 inside the first four minutes of the second half. McNally pointed within seconds of the restart and a short Graham Brody restart was intercepted by Alan Smith, who placed Eamonn Callaghan for the first major of this contest. Kildare wouldn't look back... Fogarty and Callaghan pointed before McNally latched onto a mis-kicked Smith effort to flick the ball to the net: 2-11 to 0-9.

Corner back Ollie Lyons and Padraig O'Neill slotted points as the gap went out to ten points - 2-5 without reply for the Lilywhites in the first nine minutes of the second half!

In the 46th minute, Kingston handed Laois a potential lifeline when he fired to the net with his left to reduce the arrears to seven points, 2-13 to 1-9. But McNally and O'Flaherty (free) replied with a couple of Kildare points before O'Flaherty supplied the winners' third major just before the three-quarters stage of the game: 3-15 to 1-9.

Kingston's free was cancelled out by substitute Niall Kelly before Fogarty and O'Carroll ('45') traded scores. The outstanding Cribbin fizzed over the last score of the night as Kildare set up a June 28th Leinster semi-final date with Dublin. Laois will meet Antrim in the Qualifiers next weekend.

Kildare - M Donnellan; C Fitzpatrick, M O'Grady, O Lyons (0-1); K Murnaghan (0-1), F Conway, E Bolton; G White (0-1), P Cribbin (0-2); P O'Neill (0-1), E O'Flaherty (1-4, 0-2f), C McNally (1-2); E Callaghan (1-1), A Smith, P Fogarty (0-4). Subs: E Doyle for F Conway, T Moolick for C McNally, D Hyland for E Bolton, N Kelly (0-1) for A Smith, H Lynch for G White, M Conway for E Callaghan.

Laois - G Brody; D O'Connor, M Timmons, S Attride; D Strong, R Kehoe, C Begley; B Quigley, J O'Loughlin; N Donoher (0-3), C Boyle, E O'Carroll (0-5, 1f, 1'45); R Munnelly, D Kingston (1-2, 0-2f), T Shiel (0-1). Subs: P Kingston for R Munnelly, J Finn for T Shiel, G Hanrahan for D O'Connor, G Dillon for D Strong, B Sheehan for N Donoher, E Lowry for C Boyle.

Referee - A Nolan.

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