All-Ireland MFC quarter-finals/ Laois 1-9; Cork 1-9: Cork were within minutes of dethroning All-Ireland champions Laois in a superb quarter-final tie at the Gaelic grounds, Limerick, on Saturday.

A Denis Crowley injury-time goal put them a point in front but Laois were not to be denied and Donal Brennan landed an equaliser on the call of full-time.

Laois made all the early running with Michael Tierney and David Conway prominent and they led 0-5 to 0-1 after 15 minutes. Cork moved Fintan Gould to midfield and he did well holding Laois scoreless for the rest of the half as Cork kicked five points without reply to go in level at the break.

The second half developed into a tremendous contest as Cork maintained their dominance and led for the first time at the three-quarter stage.

To their credit Laois came storming back and when Stephen O'Leary blasted home a goal they looked likely winners. Cork refused to yield, however, and in the hectic closing minutes Crowley's goal looked to have given them the spoils until Brennan's late. late equalising point.

However, it could all be academic as both counties may play a heavy price for the disgraceful scenes which followed the final whistle which left the referee with no choice but to refuse to play the extra-time allotted.

CORK: Ken O'Halloran; S O'Donoghue, Kevin O'Halloran, K Harrington; M Shields, N Horgan, E Cadogan; A O'Sullivan, C Keane; D Crowley (1-1), D Goulding (0-2), P Kerrigan (0-1); F Gould (0-1), C Callanan (0-1), K Canty (0-2). Sub: A Concannon (0-1) for D Goulding.

LAOIS: E Culleton; C Healy, M Timmons, B Meredith; K Smith, C Begley, N Danagher (0-1); B Quigley, C Rodgers; E Butler, I Fleming (0-1), S O'Leary (1-0); M Tierney (0-4), D Brennan (0-2), D Conway (0-1).

Referee: M Daly (Mayo).