Down have qualified for their first All-Ireland final since 1994 with a two-point victory over Kildare in a gripping contest at Croke Park.
But they had to survive a heart-stopping finish from Kieran McGeeney’s men.
The Mourne men had gone seven points clear when Eamon Callaghan smashed in a 58th minute goal, but the Ulster men held out in a frantic finale to set up a meeting with Cork in the decider, after Kildare sub Robert Kelly had sent a stoppage time free crashing against the crossbar.
It was a most dramatic finish to a memorable game, and the Lilywhites, who came so close to snatching it at the end, will reflect on what might have been had talisman Dermot Earley not been ruled out of the game by injury.
For Down’s part, they will approach the decider on 19 September confident in the knowledge that they have never lost an All-Ireland final in five previous attempts.
In front of a crowd of 62,182, both sides contributed to the highly entertaining spectacle.
Kildare made a strong start, easing ahead through Eamon Callaghan, James Kavanagh and Johnny Doyle.
And Down were struggling for attacking momentum, but a touch of good fortune helped them explode into the game in the 12th minute with a controversial goal.
Benny Coulter appeared to have entered the square too early before he punched Marty Clarke’s left wing delivery to the net.
The goal stood and the Mourne men grew in confidence, pushing on with a couple of inspirational scores from centre back Kevin McKernan and a Mark Poland free.
Doyle kicked accurately from frees, but with Peter Fitzpatrick and Kalum King getting on top at midfield, they were unable to stem Down’s growing confidence.
Danny Hughes, Poland, Paul McComiskey and Clarke were all on target and McComiskey, with a little more composure, could have had a goal.
And Coulter lifted Mourne spirits further with a sublime point, sliced over off the outside of his right boot in stoppage time to send his side in with a 1-9 to 0-7 interval lead.
Hughes and Clarke maintained their industrious input, their energy and mobility providing Down with qualities that their opponents struggled to replicate.
Clarke stretched the advantage to six points from a free and Kildare had gone 16 minutes without a score when centre back Emmet Bolton punished sloppy defending with a point.
Kildare came close to a goal when Eamon Callaghan sent a shot crashing against a post, and Down also had a golden opportunity, but were denied by a double save involving Morgan O’Flaherty and goalkeeper Shane McCormack.
Down never allowed the tempo to wane, defending in numbers and breaking at pace after surviving a series of Lilywhite raids, and restored their five-point cushion with Poland’s third free.
Peter Fitzpatrick, from Clarke’s perfect pass, had just opened up a seven-point lead when Eamon Callaghan broke through a gap in the Down defence to smash home a goal.
Midfielder Hugh Lynch thumped over a couple of superb long-range points and, with five to play, Kildare were within three points.
Doyle and David Lyons made it a one-point game and in the fourth minute of stoppage time, substitute Robert Kelly saw a thunderbolt free-kick deflected on to the crossbar.
Kildare: S McCormack, P Kelly, H McGrillen, A MacLochlainn, M O'Flaherty (0-1), E Bolton (0-1), B Flanagan, D Flynn, H Lynch (0-2), J Kavanagh (0-1), P O'Neill, E O'Flaherty, J Doyle (0-6, 5f), A Smith, E Callaghan (1-1).
Subs: R Sweeney for Flynn, K Ennis (0-1) for M O’Flaherty, D Lyons (0-1) for M O’Flaherty, R Kelly for Smith, T O’Connor for Lynch.
Down: B McVeigh, D McCartan, D Gordon, D Rafferty, D Rooney, K McKernan (0-2), C Garvey, P Fitzpatrick (0-1), K King; D Hughes (0-2), M Poland (0-3, 3f), P McComiskey (0-1), B Coulter (1-2), J Clarke, M Clarke (0-3, 2f).
Subs: A Brannigan for Garvey, C Maginn (0-1) for J Clarke, R Murtagh (0-1) for McComiskey, J Colgan for Poland.
Referee: P McEnaney (Monaghan).
