Meath shocked Kildare with an inspired Leinster SFC semi-final display at Croke Park on a 1-17 to 1-11 scoreline.
Three Brian Farrell points and two from Joe Sheridan had Meath ahead by 0-8 to 0-7 at the interval.
Kildare had Daryl Flynn sent off for a second booking, but went in front with a Mikey Conway goal.
Peadar Byrne blasted home a Meath goal, and late scores from substitutes Stephen Bray and Jamie Queeney sealed it for the Royals.
Kildare were reduced to 14 men with 20 minutes to play, and Meath took full advantage, with Byrne’s goal sparking a rousing finish, with a 1-5 salvo rocking the Lilywhites.
Kildare eased ahead with early scores from James Kavanagh and Emmet Bolton, but it was Meath who took up the running with honest endeavour and a willingness to take defenders on.
But for a succession of missed opportunities, they would have been ahead earlier than the 14th minute, when Alan Forde gave them the lead, his shot on goal deflected over the bar by Morgan O’Flaherty.
Three points in the space of two minutes, with Joe Sheridan and Graham Reilly also on target, had the Royals in front by 0-4 to 0-2, and Kildare were struggling to impose themselves on the game.
Conor Gillespie was a source of primary possession around the middle of the field as Meath swept forward to step up the pressure on a nervous Lilywhite defence.
Mikey Conway and Johnny Doyle did pull back points, but the long ball to target man Tomas O’Connor failed to pay off, with Bryan Menton getting the better of the big full forward in the air.
The Royals were fired up, matching their opponents for physicality, and when Brian Farrell steered over three frees, they were 0-7 to 0-4 to the good.
Eoghan O’Flaherty laid on his own free-taking exhibition with three to bring the sides level, but an exquisite Sheridan point, sliced over off the outside of his right boot, sent Meath in with a 0-8 to 0-7 interval lead.
Kildare had to work hard to break down a blanket meath defence, but patience paid off for O’Connor to punch over the equaliser, before Alan Smith shot them back in front.
Meath did have a glorious goal chance when Carroll sent Sheridan clear, but he dragged his shot wide.
The Lilywhites altered the approach, running at the Meath defence and kicking points from distance, and when Smith powered over two more quality scores, they led by two.
But the Royals levelled again when Sheridan powered a ’45 between the posts, and after Kildare were reduced to 14 men on 52 minutes, Daryl Flynn picking up a second booking, Farrell’s free eased Seamus McEnaney’s men back in front.
Almost immediately, however, Mikey Conway finished off a move involving O’Connor and O’Flaherty for a Kildare goal, but Meath responded in kind, Carroll sending substitute Peadar Byrne in to blast to the net for a 1-14 to 1-11 lead.
The Royals were rolling, and they bombarded the wilting Lilywhites in the closing stages, with substitutes Stephen Bray and Jamie Queeney (2) firing over points that sealed a famous victory.
Meath scorers: P Byrne 1-0, B Farrell 0-6 (4f), G Reilly, J Sheridan (1 ’45) 0-3 each, J Queeney 0-2, A Forde, D Carroll, S Bray 0-1 each.
Kildare scorers: M Conway 1-1, E O’Flaherty (3f), A Smith 0-3 each, E Bolton, J Kavanagh, J Doyle, T O’Connor 0-1 each.
Meath: D Gallagher, D Keoghan, B Menton, C Lenihan, D Tobin, S McAnarney, M Burke, C Gillespie, B Meade, A Forde, D Carroll, G Reilly, B Farrell, J Sheridan, C Ward.
Subs: S Bray for Ward, E Harrington for Lenihan, P Byrne for Meade, K Reilly for Menton, J Queeney for Forde
Kildare: S Connolly, H McGrillen, M Foley, P Kelly, A Smith, M O’Flaherty, O Lyons, E Bolton, D Flynn, J Kavanagh, M Conway, P O’Neill, J Doyle, T O’Connor, E O’Flaherty.
Subs: P Fogarty for Doyle, R Kelly for Kavanagh, D Earley for O’Connor, E O’Callaghan for Conway, R Sweeney for O’Neill
Referee: M Collins (Cork).
