Kildare dismiss Meath in Leinster SFC
Kildare 0-15, Meath 0-11 (full-time)
Nearly 30,000 witnessed a miraculous performance from Kildare, as they dismissed Meath, a team of eight All-Ireland medal winners, out of the Leinster championship at Croke Park.
Scorer of four points, Daithi Regan will rue a missed opportunity to square matters with a minute to go, but he flashed his left-footed free wide.
Graham Geraghty won a penalty for Meath after six minutes, which Trevor Giles duly dispatched.
Hank Traynor pointed on 12 minutes but that was the Royals' last score of the first half.
A total transformation in Lilywhite fortunes saw them shift up the field with unerring accuracy and pace.
Eight of Kildare's opening period scores came from open play, with outstanding braces for Anthony Rainbow and Ronan Sweeney.
Meath went on a five point run in the second period to the 57th minute, aided by the forward runs of Geraghty and Evan Kelly, to seemingly squeeze the life out of Padraig Nolan's side.
But they held on gamely, with top scorer and man-of-the-match John Doyle a towering influence.
