John Doyle's penalty with the last kick of the game sealed promotion to the Allianz Football League Division 1 for Kildare after a nail-biting tussle against Galway at Pearse Stadium.
Kildare looked dead and buried until the third minute of injury time when Doyle stepped forward to draw the match after Emmett Bolton was fouled in the area.
Kildare held a 1-9 to 0-8 lead at half-time, thanks to Bolton's fisted goal after 27 minutes, but Galway recovered well after the break.
The introduction of Padraic Joyce and Danny Cummins reaped immediate benefits for Alan Mulholland's Galway, but Kildare now meet Tyrone in the league final after Doyle's late strike.
Kieran McGrath was adjudged to have hauled down Bolton deep in injury time, Doyle sent Adrian Faherty the wrong way and sealed a share for the spoils for Kieran McGeeney's men.
But Galway will rue missing two excellent goal chances in the opening minutes of the second-half as firstly Garreth Bradshaw was denied by a fine save from Shane Connolly, before Paul Conroy failed to punish a slip from Hugh McGrillen with a poor strike.
But until Doyle's late heroics Galway had dominated second-half proceedings, underlined by the fact that the Lillywhites only managed one point in the first 31 minutes of the half.
Dermot Early ended that horrible period for Kildare with a neat point on the turn five minutes after his introduction. And when James Kavanagh landed his third score of the day three minutes from time the comeback was on.
Gary Sice, who was outstanding for Galway, could not be blamed for fisting a point a minute from time instead of going for goal to restore the three-point advantage, but he was made pay severely in stoppage time.
The introduction of Joyce – who kicked three points – and Cummins had earlier reaped immediate benefits for Mulholland's Galway, but Kildare’s spot in the league final was sealed largely by their goal scoring.
Each side took turns at kicking four consecutive points in the first half, before Bolton got on the end of a terrific move involving Tomas O'Connor, Kavanagh and Padraig O'Neill and fisted to the net for a 1-7 to 0-7 lead.
Mark Hehir responded immediately for the home side with a super point form distance, but after their outstanding second-half comeback the Tribesmen were unable to hold on for the win.
Scorers:
Galway: M Hehir (0-3, 2fs); P Joyce (0-3, 1f); P Conroy (0-3); G Sice (0-2); A Faherty (0-2'45); D Cummins (0-1); G Bradshaw (0-1); G Higgins (0-1); D Burke (0-1); M Martin (0-1f).
Kildare: A Smith (0-4); E Bolton (1-1); J Doyle (1-1, 1-0pen); J Kavanagh (0-3); M Conway (0-1); D Earley (0-1); E O'Flaherty (0-1f).
Galway: A Faherty; C Forde, F Hanley, K McGrath; G Bradshaw, D Blake, G O'Donnell; J Bergin, G Higgins; G Sice, D Burke, N Joyce; M Martin, P Conroy, M Hehir.
Subs: K Kelly for Forde, h-t; T Flynn for Martin, h-t; P Joyce for Hehir, 50; D Cummins for N Joyce, 53; N Coleman for Higgins, 69.
Kildare: S Connolly; O Lyons, H McGrillen, P Kelly; E Bolton, B Flanagan, M O'Flaherty; M Foley, T O'Connor; E O'Flaherty, M Conway, J Doyle; A Smith, P O'Neill, J Kavanagh.
Subs: D Flynn for McGrillen, 45; E Doyle for Flanagan, 56; D Earley for O'Connor, 60; P Fogarty for O'Neill, 66.
Referee: Eddie Kinsella (Laois).
