A controversial goal by Benny Coulter turned out to be the winning score as Down beat Kildare 1-16 to 1-14 in a high quality All Ireland football semi-final.
Coulter’s 13th minute goal was clearly a square ball but the umpires raised the green flag and it put Down into a lead they would never relinquish.
Though Down once stretched that lead to seven in the second half Kildare never gave up and a Robbie Kelly free in the fourth minute of injury time rattled the crossbar, denying Kieran McGeeney’s men a dramatic victory.
After an uncharacteristic bright start by the Lilywhites, Coulter’s goal swung the momentum back to Down.
After that they controlled the first half. Mark Poland chipped in with two, one from a free, Danny Hughes scored two, Martin Clarke and Paul Cumiskey grabbed one each and Coulter scored the point of the game just before the half-time whistle.
In contrast Kildare were moving the ball slowly and apart from Johnny Doyle, none of their forward line looked on form. Eamonn O’Callaghan got the opening score of the game but then faded from view.
James Kavanagh had a sniff of a goal in the opening minutes but he decided to hold up and pop over a point, after which he too failed to see much ball.
With no Dermot Earley from the start, the Kildare midfield lacked impact and starting midfielder Daryl Flynn was withdrawn and Ronan Sweeney was introduced.
Clarke was the dominant force in the second spell and he helped Down to lead 1-14 to 0-10 with almost an hour played.
Then O’Callaghan finished smartly to the net - he had hit the post just minutes earlier - to give Kildare hope and two superb points by Hugh Lynch narrowed the gap to three.
As injury time began the gap was just two and after a period of pressure around the Down goal granted Kildare their final chance via a 13-metre free. With Down men lining the line Kelly blasted his shot only to see it pushed onto the bar and the final whistle then blew to confirm Down’s place in the All Ireland final.