Laois qualified for the Joe McDonagh Cup final after they scored a late goal to edge out Carlow on points difference with this Round 5 clash finishing level at Netwatch Cullen Park on Saturday.
It was heartbreak for Carlow who looked as if they had done enough as the game went into the closing stages.
With the match referee, Caymon Flynn, calling three minutes injury time, the home side conceded a line-ball on half-way. The three minutes were up. Play continued. Carlow had to face a 65 and still the full-time whistle didn't come.
With every player bar the Laois keeper gone forward, Padraig Delaney’s delivery was inch perfect and James Duggan got the merest of deflections to deflect the ball over the line. With the puck-out came the final whistle.
It was the culmination of a teak tough encounter where a moment such as what transpired was always likely to be decisive.
While the eventual winners had opened the scoring with a Tomás Keyes point, Carlow hit back with James Doyle and Marty Kavanagh both raising white flags. A high delivery aimed at Chris Nolan saw him make the catch and turning he hammered the ball low and hard to the net. The three-pointer put the home side four up. Laois responded with Tomás Keyes firing over a range of points from play and placed efforts.
Carlow hit a purple patch and Marty Kavanagh knocked over four frees in succession.
At the half-time break, Carlow led 1-9 to 0-11. Two minutes into the second half that lead went out to three points with Nolan and Kavanagh both raising white flags. Tom Cuddy, in defiance, fired over a Laois point.
Carlow keeper, Brian Tracey did well when he got in his hurl to deny Jer Quinlan when a Laois goal looked on.
Carlow’s second goal came from Paddy Boland coming towards the end of the third quarter. That looked as if it was going to be the crucial score. Laois dug deep. Both sides threw everything into the final quarter. The Barrowsiders had chances to go four clear in the closing stages but didn’t take them. Instead, the visitors forced that sensational draw which was enough to get them through to play Kildare who held off a comeback from Down to seal their place in the final.
Carlow: Brian Tracey; Paul Doyle, Dion Wall, Tony Lawlor; Evan Kealy, Kevin McDonald, Jack McCullagh; Ciaran Whelan, Fiachra Fitzpatrick (0-1); Jon Nolan (0-1), James Doyle (0-2), Paddy Boland (1-1); Chris Nolan (1-1), Marty Kavanagh (0-10, 7fs 2-65s), John Michael Nolan (0-1).
Subs: Conor Kehoe for JM Nolan (52), Ted Joyce for J Nolan (65).
Laois: Cathal Dunne; Donnacha Hartnett, Lee Cleere, Diarmaid Conway; Tom Cuddy (0-1), Padraig Delaney (0-1f), Ryan Mullaney; John Lennon, David Dooley; Aidan Corby, Charles Dwyer (0-1f), Paddy Purcell; Jer Quinlan (0-1), Tomas Keyes (0-14 9fs 2-65s), Ben Conroy.
Subs: Aaron Dunphy (0-1) for Lennon (50), Mark Dowling for Dwyer (58), James Keyes for Quinlan (64), James Duggan (1-1) for Conroy (65).
Referee: Caymon Flynn (Westmeath).
