Laois 0-18: D Cuddy 0-12 (nine frees), F O'Sullivan 0-2, C Cuddy 0-2, J Young 0-1, D Rooney 0-1.

Dublin 0-18: T McGrane 0-8 (seven frees), S Duignan 0-2, G Ennis 0-2, D Russell 0-2, D Henry 0-2, D Sweeney 0-1, S Martin 0-1.

Referee: S McMahon (Clare).

Booked: Laois - A Coffey (52 mins). Dublin - S Perkins (8 mins).

Thrills and a deadlock at the forgotten fixture. While hurling's glitterati converged on Pairc Ui Chaoimh, for the first great rumble of the summer, two of the championship outsiders warmed hearts in Kilkenny.

Trailing by six points at half-time, Dublin exorcised a listless league campaign by means of a stirring second-half renaissance which might just have ushered them through to the next round.

Instead, Laois' interests were kept alive through the dead-ball skills of David Cuddy, who cracked three crucial points in a closing haze characterised by fine Dublin approach play. And afterwards, it was all smiles.

"It gives us a fourth game. The last time Dublin played four games must be 19-oh-something. It's what we want. I think it's great for both Dublin and Laois. The winners will improve and will be better playing Kilkenny on the 18th than if we hadn't this system (the round-robin)," declared Dublin manager Michael O'Grady.

The replay will form part of doubleheader with the Laois/Westmeath football tie next Monday in Tullamore.

The Dublin manager watched his team slide into a six-point hole over a first half during which his side failed to penetrate the Laois defence. Niall Rigney, Paul Cuddy and PJ Peacock calmly returned with interest the blitz of high balls dispatched towards their goalmouth and often stung Dublin with the accuracy of their clearances.

David Cuddy had a near flawless first half for the Laois side, proving lethal with the series of long-distance frees which the Dublin defence presented to him, and also being imaginative in open play, making space for two fine first-half points. Laois appeared to have the physical edge on their opponents throughout a stilted opening half hour and were also fashioning scores with more ease.

After 33 minutes, Anthony Coffey guided an astute crossfield pass into the path of Fionan O'Sullivan who duly nailed a score to leave it 0-10 to 0-5 and it appeared as if Laois might break away.

Dublin, though, hung in, with Shane Martin, Conor McCann, David Sweeney and Liam Walsh scrapping selflessly and Thomas McGrane converting whatever opportunities presented themselves from frees.

Immediately after the break, however, they ran at Laois with more potency and effect. Pacy substitute Ger Ennis added some electricity to the front lines, firing two fine points which bracketed scores by Damien Russell, McGrane and Sean Duignan. Faced with a more subtle and swifter thrust, Laois began to struggle and David Cuddy's eye for goal occasionally betrayed him.

By the 55th minutes, Dublin had established their first lead of the game, with McGrane sending a pair of frees whistling over the bar to leave them 0-14 to 0-13 to the good. And while Dublin's forward line were buzzing with intent now, Laois were showing the signs of that fractious league campaign.

"The last 10 minutes, we were just dragging along, weren't we?" sighed team manager Sean Cuddy. "We weren't first to the ball, you'd know we were gone. We are just lucky to be in it for another day."

On this day, they couldn't get on the ball in the last, intense minutes. Dublin were in full flow, crafting fine scores which might have demoralised Laois. The lead see-sawed over the last 10 minutes, with David Cuddy keeping Laois alive. After 68 minutes, Stephen Perkins fired a through ball which McGrane scorched onto for a score, leaving it at 0-17 a piece. Then the city side fouled needlessly.

Cuddy converted. Dublin came again, pulling level with the score of the game. Diarmuid McInerney, growing in stature as the game grew old, rose for a puck out and played Ennis. He fired a ball for Duignan who also made a great fetch before whacking the equaliser. When McInerney soared again for another puck out, the game was there for Dublin but he was whistled for over-carrying. For once - and perhaps fittingly - Cuddy didn't punish them. With the final whistle, there were few complaints.

"I'm just delighted we have another day," gasped Michael O'Grady. "We actually get to hurl in June."