Kildare inflicted a 0-18 to 2-11 defeat on neighbours Meath at Navan.

Kieran McGeeney's men seem to have the indian sign on the Royals and so it proved once more tonight when they just about prevailed in a scintillating match that see-sawed one way then the other.

Both sides made mistakes but the first half was entertaining, Kildare taking a 0-8 to 0-6 lead into the interval.

Tomas O'Connor opened the winners' scoring with a fisted effort after some tigerish defending from the Royals and Eoghan O'Flatherty doubled their return before Mickey Burke raided forward for a Meath point. Paddy Gilsenan was also on the mark early on for the home team.

The Lilywhites took over and moved ahead by double scores, 0-4 to 0-2, thanks to another fisted point from midfielder Daryl Flynn and one from Mikey Conway.

Cian Ward narrowed the gap but Padraig O'Neill slotted over to give McGeeney's charges a 0-5 to 0-3 lead. And Eamonn O'Callaghan made it double scores again with a lovely score at the end of a flowing move in the 19th minute.

Chris O'Connor's point and others from Shane McAnarney and Stephen Bray had Banty's charges on terms coming up to the half-time whistle but scores from Eoghan O'Flaherty and O'Callaghan ensured that the visitors remained in control.

At the end of an entertaining opening period, Kildare held a narrow 0-8 to 0-6 advantage.

Stephen Bray closed the gap shortly after the restart and the sides were soon level when Bray again split the posts. But three points in a row from the visitors - the first and third from the boot of O'Flaherty with O'Neill pointing in between - had Kildare ahead by 0-11 to 0-8.

Amazingly, the Royal County bolted into a 1-9 to 0-11 lead, with Paddy Gilsenan hitting the net in the 48th minute after being placed by substitute Joe Sheridan before Tom Walsh had the hosts ahead for the first time, but a free from O'Flaherty tied the scores up once more.

Gilsenan had another goal chance but opted to take his point, firing the home side back ahead. But Morgan O'Flatharta crept goalwards to float over the leveller.

And Eoghan O'Flaherty's sixth score of the night edged the Lilywhites back in front. It was looking ominous for the hosts when Kildare stretched their lead to two points again with a Morgan O'Flatharta effort but Meath are notoriously difficult to beat and they powered back in front thanks to a rasping 64th-minute goal from Donnacha Tobin.

Kildare found yet another leveller from Alan Smith three minutes from time and it was end to end stuff as both teams went for the winner thereafter.

And right at the death, in the second minute of injury time, Ollie Lyons knocked over the decisive point to give Kildare a thrilling win.

Kildare - S Connolly; A McLoughlin, M Foley, O Lyons (0-2); E Bolton, M O'Flaherty (0-1), H McGrillen (0-1); D Flynn (0-1), P O'Neill (0-2); J Kavanagh, J Doyle, M Conway (0-1); E Callaghan (0-2), T O'Connor (0-1), E O'Flaherty (0-6). Subs: P Kelly for Foley, R Sweeney for Flynn, A Smith (0-1) for Kavanagh, C Fitzpatrick for McLoughlin, K Ennis for Doyle.

Meath - D Gallagher; M Burke (0-1), K Reilly, B Menton; G O'Brien, S McAnarney (0-1), C McGuinness; B Meade, M Ward; S Kenny, G Reilly, C O'Connor (0-1); P Gilsenan (1-2), S Bray (0-4), C Ward (0-1). Subs: D Tobin (1-0) for O'Brien, J Sheridan for C Ward, C King for McGuinness, T Walsh (0-1) for Meade, G Geraghty for G Reilly.

Ref - M Collins (Cork). Tweet

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