Dermot Earley was immense as Kildare beat neighbours Wicklow by 1-16 to 2-9 in front of 17,753 spectators at Portlaoise. Kildare are through to the All-Ireland quarter-finals, while Wicklow are left ruing a number of close calls in front of goal. Mick O'Dwyer's surprise packets pushed the Short Grass County all the way but Alan Smith's 68th-minute goal - laid on a plate by substitute Robert Kelly - put paid to a thrilling effort from the famous fifteen. Seanie Furlong's 17th-minute goal meant Wicklow - who had played into the stiff breeze - gave as good as they got for most of the first half but a burst of five unanswered Kildare points from the 33rd minute until the half-time whistle helped the beaten Leinster finalists to a four-point interval cushion, 0-11 to 1-4. Earley lashed over a super opening point for the Lilywhites in the third minute after Alan Smith had missed the target moments earlier. Furlong's seventh-minute free levelled the scores but James Kavanagh pointed Kildare back in front off his left 60 seconds later. Ken Donnelly almost got in for a Kildare goal but the ball went across the face of goal and Johnny Doyle also clipped a free wide after a foul on Ronan Sweeney. The game was being played out at a frantic pace and Patrick McWalter was first man into the notebook when he hung out of the marauding Earley. Doyle obliged from the free in front of the posts in the 15th minute. Garden County goalkeeper Mervyn Travers made a good save to deny Kavanagh what would have been a cheeky goal, but Doyle floated the resultant 45 high between the posts to make it 0-4 to 0-1 after 16 minutes. In the 17th minute, Wicklow got a goal out of the blue. Indecisive Kildare defending led to the ball somehow squirming up into Furlong's arms and the full forward ran at the defence and was elated to see his low shot roll into the back of the net. Latching onto a Tony Hannon pass, Furlong followed up with his third score in the 19th minute and his excellent left-footed finish from a narrow angle edged the underdogs in front, 1-2 to 0-4. The red-hot favourites refused to panic and their evergreen midfield star Earley danced around his man to clip over a delightful point from out wide. Hannon missed narrowly before Smith pointed at the other end after good interplay between Kavanagh and Doyle. A patient move involving Dean Odlum and JP Dalton culminated in a lovely Wicklow point from wing back Darren Hayden. That scored had the sides level again on 24 minutes: 0-6 to 1-3. Furlong was on fire and Micko's bravehearts moved back in front in the 28th minute when the powerful Kiltegan man slotted over a beautiful point. Desperate Kildare defending denied Wicklow a fifth point and Hannon's 45 dropped short before Kildare wing back Mikey Conway collected a yellow card for a late tackle. Kildare were struggling and Wicklow were most unfortunate not to get a second major in the 32nd minute when Paul Earls ran through the entire Kildare defence and rounded the goalkeeper only to see his goalbound shot inadvertently blocked by the backtracking Morgan O'Flaherty. Having heroically deprived the opposition of a vital three-pointer, wing back O'Flaherty popped up instantly at the other end to knock over the point that levelled the scores for the fifth time, 0-7 to 1-4 after 33 minutes. A minute later, Doyle squeezed over the lead point off his left side from an ugly angle and substitute Robert Kelly dummied inside his man to curl over a left-footed point in first-half stoppage time. Centre forward Padraig O'Neill struck a fourth successive Kildare point in as many minutes after sterling defending and set-up play by Hugh McGrillen. Centre back Brian Flanagan - now wearing the No.34 jersey - slammed over yet another Kildare point in the second added minute and the short whistle sounded with the Lilywhites pulling away. The half-time whistle saved the underdogs, who would have wind advantage upon the resumption Wicklow almost made a dream start to the second half but Kildare 'keeper Tom Corley executed a fantastic double save to deny Odlum and Earls with his right hand and right foot respectively. A fortuitous free-out let the Lilies off the hook. Sweeney and Doyle missed two Kildare chances apiece as the game lost its shape. Wicklow's fans could hardly believe their eyes when - on 41 minutes - they again came agonisingly close to finding the net, but once more the ball was somehow spirited to safety. Doyle tapped over a free from close range after he had been fouled off the ball by full back Dara O hAnnaidh and Earley landed a great point against the wind - Kildare's seventh in a row. Ten minutes into the second half, Furlong clipped a free over the bar after a foul on Leighton Glynn and Wicklow - who threatened to rain goals all evening - finally got their second goal in the 48th minute when Hannon's pile-driver almost burst the net after superb approach play from Glynn. Kudos to the man in black for allowing a good advantage in the build-up to that score. When midfielder James Stafford thumped over a 50th-minute point, the Wicklow faithful could start to believe again as there was just a point in it: 0-13 to 2-6. With wind assistance, the outsiders now looked the most likely victors. That feeling was amplified when Doyle spurned a free and Odlum showed great persistence to pick off the levelling point. Kildare were now being asked major questions but two points in as many minutes from Smith and substitute Eamonn Callaghan saw the Lilywhites restore their two-point advantage. With ten minutes left, Wicklow remained very much in the hunt, trailing by 0-15 to 2-7. Still, Micko hadn't used a substitute! This time using his other foot, Callaghan kicked another point - his second in succession - to extend the gap to three in the 61st minute. With the scorching pace unrelenting, Odlum beat Foley to kick an excellent point off his left foot from an acute angle. That was Wicklow's first point in ten minutes but time was very much of the essence now with only six remaining. Earls kicked wide on 65 minutes as the brave underdogs strained to get back into the game and - heartbreakingly - Hannon's free from the deck also sailed wide in the 67th minute. It was all Wicklow now but the scores wouldn't come and goal specialist Smith finished the game as a contest with his fourth major of the championship in the 68th minute. Man of the Match Earley initiated that move with an excellent fetch under his own crossbar and a patient build-up culminated in Smith flicking the ball from close range past the despairing dive of Travers. Earls pulled back a late consolation point for the losers and the rain started to fall at O'Moore Park as Wicklow's sensational summer came to an end. Kildare - T Corley; E Bolton, M Foley, H McGrillen; M O'Flaherty (0-1), B Flanagan (0-1), M Conway; D Flynn, D Earley (0-3); J Kavanagh (0-1), P O'Neill (0-1), R Sweeney; A Smith (1-2), K Donnelly, J Doyle (0-4, 2f, 1'45). Subs - R Kelly (0-1) for Donnelly (31), E Callaghan (0-2) for Sweeney (53), A McLoughlin for Foley (65), A Rainbow for O'Neill (70). Wicklow - M Travers; C Hyland, D O'hAnnaidh, S Kelly; P McWalter, B McGrath, D Hayden (0-1); J Stafford (0-1), T Walsh; L Glynn, T Hannon (1-0), JP Dalton; D Odlum (0-2), S Furlong (1-4, 2f), P Earls (0-1). Ref - Marty Duffy (Sligo) Tweet

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