The sides were level on five occasions, and the Leinster men looked to have booked their place in the last four when they led by two points with two minutes to play.

After Alan Dillon and Conor Mortimer had given Mayo a promising start, Laois took control, and six points on the trot saw them open up a four points advantage.

Two each from Ross Munnelly, Chris Conway and converted full forward Noel Garvan had Mick O’Dwyer’s men buzzing, before Mayo suddenly dragged themselves back into the game.

Having gone almost 20 minutes without scoring, they narrowed the gap to a single point, with Kevin O’Neill and Dillon splitting the posts, before Kieran McDonald drilled over a 45.

It was developing into a gripping contest, with Conway bringing his tally to four, and Mortimer slipping the excellent Joe Higgins for his second.

In the final five minutes of the half, both sides had goal chances, Billy Joe Padden denied by a superb Fergal Byron save, before Laois midfielder Brendan Quigley sent a shot crashing against the butt of a post.

At the break, the Leinster men were clinging on to a slender 0-8 to 0-7 lead, but Mortimer soon had the Connacht champions back in front.

It was end-to-end stuff throughout the second half, with Laois substitute Donie Brennan making a big impact with three excellent points.

But Mayo were able to respond each time their opponents pulled clear, and scores from Andy Moran, Conway, Aidan Kilcoyne and full-back David Heaney kept them in it.

Conway brought his tally to six, but it was Mortimer who did likewise with the crucial free that brought his side level at the death.