The celebrations of a thrilled Kildare camp showed what the National Hurling League draw with Offaly in Tullamore meant to them.
The 0-23 to 2-17 result was enough to secure their place in the league final in a couple of weeks time while Offaly must now regroup for a home semi-final against Kerry next weekend.
With a gruelling Joe McDonagh Cup campaign around the corner, this match was approached with a much higher level of intensity than would normally be the case where the stakes were not that high and there was an escape chute for the losers.
However, they both desperately wanted a week off to allow tired bodies recover and get in some hard training. That reward went to Kildare as the draw was enough for them to top the division on scoring difference ahead of Offaly.
In the wind up, the draw was controversial as their equalising point from sharp shooter James Burke came well over the alloted four minutes of injury time. There was 75.20 minutes on the clock when Offaly goalkeeper Stephen Burke didn't deal with a long ball in and was then penalised as he tried to protect it.
The free in was not a big issue but the time added on certainly was for Offaly, whose sideline had also reacted furiously to some of referee Chris Mooney's decisions during the second half – with one of them getting a yellow card.
Over the balance of play, Kildare probably did deserve a draw. They had been outstanding for twenty second half minutes when they outscored Offaly by 0-10 to 0-01 and this was where the real damage was done for the home side.
Without setting the world on fire, Offaly had been marginally the better side in the first half and their 0-13 to 0-10 interval lead was a fair reflection of the game. Kildare had plenty of possession, dominated for spells and could have been closer but they had a few bad misses. Offaly converted almost everything, leading by 0-05 to 0-02 after 12 minutes.
Kildare fought back well to level it at 0-05 each but Offaly then found an extra gear. They led by 0-12 to 0-07 after 31 minutes and Kildare were hanging on for dear life. They did rally coming up to half time, scoring three points to Offaly's one to trail by three at the break.
Kildare were superb in the third quarter plus. They attacked Offaly with everything they had, out playing and out fighting them. Offaly couldn't match their intensity levels and they were soon creaking at the knees.
Declan Flaherty made a great impact off the bench, getting two of his three points in the first ten minutes as Kildare scored three without reply. An Eoghan Cahill free stemmed the tide but then Kildare tore them apart again. They got seven points in a sensational spell of pressure to lead by 0-20 to 0-14 after 55 minutes and it looked like they would coast home from here.
Instead Offaly showed great character to get back into it. A 55th minute David Nally goal gave them a lifeline and Charlie Mitchell's super finish after a great move four minutes later left a point in it, after James Burke had responded with a Kildare free.
The closing ten minutes provided great entertainment and Offaly got their noses in front with a 70th minute Eoghan Cahill free. They defended heroically and looked like they had done just enough to qualify until that controversial last gasp point.
Offaly: Stephen Corcoran; Ben Conneely, Ciaran Burke, Dara Maher; Killian Sampson (0-02) Jason Sampson (0-01), Joey Keenaghan; Ross Ravenhill, Jack Clancy; David Nally (1-00), Cillian Kiely (0-01), Adrian Cleary; Eimhin Kelly, Charlie Mitchell (1-02), Eoghan Cahill (0-11, 9f, 1 '65'). Subs: David King for Ravenhill ('35 +3), Paddy Clancy for Clancy (39m), Shane Dooley for Kelly ('44), Liam Langton for Kiely ('54), John Murphy for Cleary ('66),
Kildare: Paddy McKenna; Niall O'Muineachain, Simon Leacy, Cormac Byrne; Cian Shanahan, Rian Boran, Conan Boran (0-02); Paul Dolan (0-03), Cathal McCabe; James Burke (0-10, 9f), Gerry Keegan (0-02), Jack Higgins; Brian Byrne, Cian Boran (0-01), Cathal Dowling (0-02). Subs - Declan Flaherty (0-03) for Higgins ('31), Mark Delaney for Cian Boran ('65), Jack Travers for Dolan ('68).
Referee: Chris Mooney (Dublin).
Elsewhere in Division 2A, Derry were relegated after a Carlow 2-21 to 0-16 defeat to Carlow.
The Barrowsiders got their majors early in the game as Conor Kehoe hit a brace in the third and fourth minutes. The hosts were four points clear at Netwatch Cullen Park at that stage but it was in the second quarter that they did much of their damage.
Paddy Boland, Chris Nolan, Richard Coady, Fiach O'Toole and Marty Kavanagh all found their range in that period to push Carlow 11 points up by half time.
Derry desperately needed goals if they were to kickstart a comeback, but a couple of sharp saves from Ciaran Abbey left them with too much to do as they fell through the trap door.
In the other game in the division Kerry came from behind late on to defeat Down at Austin Stack Park.
The Mourne Men, who needed a victory to be certain of safety before throw-in, were three points up at half time, and would still have that advantage with 15 minutes to play after Tom McGrattan's goal.
Jordan Conway responded with a major for the men from the Kingdom before Philip Lucid landed the winner in injury time.
