Laois clawed back an eight-point deficit in the last seven minutes to wrestle a 2-12 to 1-15 draw with Derry in a thrilling All-Ireland MFC semi-final at Croke Park. Left wing back Zack Tuohy was the Laois hero, slamming home both goals including an absolutely scintillating effort in injury time when the Leinster champions needed such inspiration. Derry dominated the first half and their talisman James Kielt hit the target three times as they assumed a commanding six-point interval cushion. Eight of Derry's ten first-half points were from open play as they treated their followers to an exhibition of expansive football. Midfielder Kielt opened the scoring with a second-minute free but full forward Conor Meredith equalised for Laois when he popped over after chasing down a lost cause. Derry's Declan Mullen raced through acres of space to drive a fierce shot straight over the black spot - a lucky escape for the Leinster champions as it could well have been a goal. Centre forward Aidan Herron and wing back Christopher McKaigue made it 0-4 to 0-1 in the Oak Leaf County's favour with seven minutes played. Donal Kingston caught and turned well to pull one back for the O'Moore boys. Full forward Gavin McGeehan swivelled to give Derry a four-point cushion on 14 minutes but Eddie Kelly replied for Laois. Still, Derry led by double scores with 16 minutes played in the first half - 0-6 to 0-3. McGeehan placed Kielt for Derry's seventh point and Lee Moore was on hand to make it 0-8 to 0-3 on 22 minutes. One of the outstanding minors of the year, Kielt, took his third point from a free to six between the sides with three minutes left in the first half. Moore picked out McKaigue brilliantly and when the attacking half back clipped his second score of the semi-final the northern raiders led by a whopping seven. Kingston knocked over a soft Laois free and the half-time whistle sounded with the Foylesiders in complete control: 0-10 to 0-4. Derry's first attack of the second half yielded nothing but Meredith steadied Laois with a point into the Canal End two minutes after the restart. The leaders were unlucky not to get a free out before Kingston raised the second flag of the half - Laois' third successive point. 0-10 to 0-6. A seven-point gap had been reduced to four in five minutes of play either side of the break. Suddenly, Laois were playing with renewed belief and serious questions were being asked of the Derry boys. Declan Mullen answered with a lovely point on the run at the end of a purposeful move. Twice in the first ten minutes of the second half Laois almost got in for goals but on both occasions they were thwarted by heroic Derry defending. Full back Carlus McWilliams got a yellow card for an alleged foul that presented Kingston with a routine Laois point from a free in front of the posts - 0-11 to 0-7. The game came to life when Laois captain Zack Tuohy fired a low shot to the Derry net after magnificent work from Kingston, who was now operating with deadly effect on the edge of the square. Kingston rose well to catch the ball and held off three tackles to pick out the roaming left half back, who planted his 42nd-minute shot along the ground into the goal. Laois were now within a point and Meredith missed a great chance for the leveller from a close-range free. At the other end, Herron and Mullen lifted the siege with Derry's second and third points of the half to make it 0-13 to 1-7. Herron popped over the insurance point with ten minutes left and Moore effortlessly executed a Derry free following a lung-bursting solo run from roving corner forward Neil Forrester. Moore seemed to have finished the match as a contest when he bulged the Derry net with a rasping drive seven minutes from the end to give his side an eight-point advantage. Derry still led by seven when Ciaran Farrell clipped what looked like a consolation point for Laois six minutes from the full-time whistle. Farrell's second score in as many minutes made it 1-9 to 1-15 and Derry keeper Andrew Warnock made a super save to deny Meredith a goal four minutes from time. Tuohy popped over the resultant 45 to close the gap to five. Laois pulled back another point and Tuohy stunned Derry when he sent a ferocious drive to the top right corner of the net in the first of three added minutes. It was a truly inspirational score, worthy of any occasion. A minute later, Kingston had Laois level for the first time since the second minute of the match. The final whistle sounded with the sides level and the O'Moore County's incredible Houdini act completed. Laois - C O'Shea; R Kehoe, J Mulhare, J O'Connor; K Lillis, C Boyle, Z Tuohy (2-1, 1 '45); D Lowry, J O'Loughlin; S Ramsbottom, E Kelly (0-1), B Smyth; J Doyle, C Meredith (0-02), D Kingston (0-6, 3 frees). Subs - K Farrell (0-2) for Lowry (23), B Glynn for Kelly (55), K Hyland for Doyle (55), S Miller for Smyth (59). Derry - A Warnock; M McKinney, C McWilliams, D Bell; C McKaigue (0-2), J F Bradley, B Henry; J Kielt (0-3, 2 frees), C O'Boyle; S Cleary, A Heron (0-4), D Mullan (0-3); N Forrester, G McGeehan (0-01), L Moore (1-2, 1 free). Subs - L Kennedy for Cleary (ht), L Morrow for Bell (46), P Heaney for O'Boyle (50), D Hevron for McGeechan (57). Referee - Rory Hickey (Clare) Tweet

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