Seanie O'Shea nailed a long range free with the last kick of the game to end Kerry's modern-day hoodoo against Dublin in a grueling and drama-choked All-Ireland semi-final.
With five minutes of injury-time having elapsed, and the score tied at 1-13 apiece, a tiring David Clifford manufactured a free with the last play of the game.
The kick was from well outside the 45-metre line but O'Shea opted to have a pop, ignoring the deafening whistles emanating from Hill 16, and curled it over with plenty to spare to send Kerrymen into ecstasy on the pitch and in the stand.
Given their recent record of woe in the fixture, Kerry supporters could have been forgiven for fearing the worst, with the momentum of the contest running hard against them as the clock wound down.
"The old ticker was going fairly fast there at the end," sighed Jack O'Connor, at the beginning of his press conference.
In the end, they withstood the suffocating pressure on them - Darragh Ó Sé declared this week that another Kerry loss in the fixture would be "catastrophic" - to grind out a landmark win.
At half-time, the optimists might have felt they'd have gotten over the line with less drama.
Playing with the nippy breeze in the first half and into the Canal side - where the wind doesn't swirl as unpredictably - Kerry amassed a five-point lead.
In contrast to Saturday's ponderous semi, the game started at breakneck speed, raiding corner-back Lee Gannon curling over a fine score, O'Shea cutting in from the end-line to level from the next attack.
Then, a pivotal moment. David Moran lamped in a long, angled ball into the full-forward line, the Dublin defence flapped uncharacteristically, O'Shea gathering near the end-line. The covering defenders were sucked away towards Geaney, O'Shea threw a feint and headed across goal, slipping a low shot under Comerford to send Kerry three clear.
Dublin almost hit back immediately, James McCarthy, announced to start shortly before throw-in, collected the ball tight to the Cusack Stand and drove towards goal, the decoys opening the path for him. He booted a low shot seeking the far corner but Ryan saved well with his legs. The rebound trickled out to Howard who slotted over a point.
The pre-match was dominated by chatter about Con O'Callaghan's reputed absence, the Cuala player not listed in the match-day 26 in the glimpses of the programme that found their way onto social media on Saturday. Some were still inclined to disbelieve the reports, but in any event, O'Callaghan was out.
Dublin's interplay was superb but their shooting was ropey, Brian Fenton and Cormac Costello among those pulling efforts wide.
As the half wore on, David Clifford, having shaken off his injuries, began to rock and roll.
First he won a spirited tussle with Mick Fitzsimons for Graham O'Sullivan's looping high ball, claiming the mark and popping over a score.
Not long after, Paudie Clifford seized on a loose Bugler pass, starting a counter which ended with Clifford (David) swinging over a beautiful score from outside the '45, punching the air in exultation afterwards. Immediately after, referee Paddy Neilan consulted with his officials, summoned John Small and flashed black card at the wing back for dragging Paul Geaney.
On 27 minutes, Kerry were offered a glorious chance to build a substantial gap. Clifford shimmied past Murchan, swinging over a shot from the right-wing, the ball clipped off the far post and fell perfectly into Gavin White's clutches on the edge of the square.
The wing-back, however, was stationary and hesitant and before he could force a shot away, Lorcan O'Dell tackled him from the behind. White hit the deck, the ref signaling for a penalty. 'Soft-ish' was the verdict.
Before it could be taken, Evan Comerford went to ground, receiving attention for a mysterious issue, naturally sparking suggestions that the Dubs were running down clock during the sin-bin period - an episode which O'Connor was keen to draw attention to after the game.
Eventually, O'Shea got to stand over the pen but struck a limp effort, side-footing low and centrally. Comerford got down to save. As the ball rebounded loose, O'Shea charged in, drawing a wild boot on it, catching the goalie on the head with his trailing foot.
The Dublin players took severe exception to the somewhat loose rebound attempt and frustration boiled over, both sets of grabbing fistfuls of jersey in the ensuing shoving match. The ball was there - though O'Shea had taken a bit of a golf swing at it.
After things cooled down, Geaney and Murchan were singled out, yellow carded for their role in the fracas.
Clifford was now hitting his stride - fulfilling his allotted role as Kerry's 'Strawberry, Hit a Home Run' gambit.
Four minutes into the elongated injury-time period, he picked up the ball in ordinarily unpromising circumstances near the Cusack, threw a violent sidestep to leave Lee Gannon for dead, then slalomed around a couple more tacklers until it was time to curl over the score - his fifth of the half.
Five was the gap at the break, though in the conditions, it might have been more. The Kerry inside forwards often appeared frustrated by their cagey, sedate build-up, Clifford, in particular, gesticulating wildly for quicker ball time and again.
Playing into the elements, Kerry made a sprightly start to the second half and held their advantage during the opening 10 minutes, Clifford swinging over another score, Fenton responding for the Dubs.
Substitutes Dara Moynihan and Paddy Small swiftly traded points before disaster struck for Kerry and the game was tossed back into the melting pot.
David Moran, beginning to tire, spilled a simple pass on the Dublin '45, allowing the Leinster champions turnover ball. Dublin embarked on a lethal counter, the ball finding its way to Cormac Costello on the 21 metre line, he eschewed the point, drilling a perfect shot low into the far corner off the post. There seemed to be hardly any space to aim at - but he found it anyway.
Moments later, they almost forced home another, desperate defence seeing Dean Rock's shot blocked, Kilkenny latched onto the ricocheted ball and swiftly fisted the point. Now, the gap was the minimum.
Kerry staunched the flow with a timely score, smothering a Dublin attack and breaking upfield with rare pace, Moran finding O'Shea, who advanced, popping the ball to Paudie Clifford who curled over a score under pressure.
With 10 left, Kerry nursed possession, deciding the clock was their friend. For over three minutes, they pottered around the middle third, the Dublin support gently 'encouraging' them to get a move-on with some furious jeering. Finally, Ó Beaglaíoch opted to inject some pace, darting through the middle. Paudie Clifford was found on the 21, he lost his man with a drop of the shoulder and fisted over the point to push the gap out to three.
Two quickfire points arrived via two Dublin stalwarts, James McCarthy curling over a magnificent effort from the right flank, 'just' inside the far post (Hawkeye being decommissioned, it was no longer around to check it). The Kerry kickout went astray, Costello collecting, driving inside, Kilkenny was found in space and the Castleknock player swung over his second score.
Kerry were patently beginning to sag. Clifford, so influential in the first half, was now struggling under the attention of Fitzsimons and the Dublin defence began to get to grips with their opponents.
With two minutes left, the decibel level rose higher. Kilkenny was now a giant figure in the contest, he played a one-two with Paddy Small - the latter almost bottled up but managed to force it back to him - and the half-forward maestro clipped over the equalising point. The Dublin support was in a frenzy, gleefully sensing a smash and grab victory and that their current hex on Kerry was about to be prolonged.
Five minutes of injury-time were called. On 72, O'Shea showed his wiles to earn a free, locking arms with Gannon and going to ground, popping over the lead score on the 21. They surrendered the lead instantly, Paddy Small claiming what appeared a perfect mark. Dissent was aimed at the ref and he opted to move the ball in - a free, supposedly - and Rock had an easy task to level it.
In humid conditions, the players were out on their feet. We wondered could they sustain it in extra-time. We didn't have to wonder.
Clifford got out in front to collect a pass and win one last free. And O'Shea delivered the goods at the vital moment.
Sean O'Shea steps up with the final kick of the game to win the match for Kerry and break Dublin hearts.
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) July 10, 2022
They reach the All-Ireland final to play Galway.
Highlights on #sundaygame from 10.10pm pic.twitter.com/WRq72iNlAz
Rarely has the winning team's relief and euphoria been more apparent at the end of a semi-final, the Kerry players leaping around with wild abandon, almost hugging the referee when he blew for full-time.
In truth, it was a nervy second half display and Kerry fell over the line - but in the circumstances, these are only details. The bottom line is all that counts. Kerry have beaten the Dubs for the first time since 2009 and are back in the All-Ireland final.
Kerry: Shane Ryan; Graham O'Sullivan, Jason Foley, Tom O'Sullivan (0-01); Brian Ó Beaglaíoch, Tadhg Morley, Gavin White; David Moran, Diarmuid O'Connor; Jack Barry, Seán O'Shea (1-04, 2f), Stephen O'Brien; Paudie Clifford (0-02), David Clifford (0-06, 1f, 1m), Paul Geaney.
Subs: Dara Moynihan (0-01) for O'Brien (41), Killian Spillane for Geaney (41), Adrian Spillane for Moran (51), Joe O'Connor for White (66)
Dublin: Evan Comerford; Eoin Murchan, Mick Fitzsimons, Lee Gannon (0-01); John Small (0-01), Jonny Cooper, Seán Bugler (0-01); Brian Fenton (0-01), Tom Lahiff; James McCarthy (0-01), Brian Howard (0-01), Ciarán Kilkenny (0-03); Cormac Costello (1-00), Dean Rock (0-03, 3f), Lorcan O'Dell.
Subs: Paddy Small (0-01) for O'Dell (39), Davy Byrne for Cooper (41), Sean McMahon for Murchan (56), Cian Murphy for Fitzsimons (71)
Referee: Paddy Neilan
