NFL Division One B/Kildare 0-8 Wexford 0-8: Battling Wexford earned a share of the spoils to maintain their prospects of remaining in Division One B of the National Football League for next season.
With just one win from four outings coming into the game and positioned at the bottom of the league table, Wexford arrived in Newbridge knowing that defeat would almost certainly see them demoted.
However corner forward Mattie Forde, so often their saviour in the past, converted a late free moments before Tipperary referee Paddy Russell sounded the final whistle.
They are still at the bottom of the table, but a win over Armagh in the final round on Sunday next will see them survive at the expense of the Ulster side.
Forde finished the game as the top marksman with five points and he put them into an early lead when he landed the first of his points from placed balls. The wet and windy conditions and heavy surface made it very difficult for both teams.
Kildare fielded without the recently married John Doyle, their top scorer this year, and corner forward Tadhg Fennin got their first score to tie up the game.
But Wexford adapted better to the adverse conditions and dominated the first half after David Murphy landed a fine point.
Ciarán Deely added a score from play and Paul Bealin's side led by three points after Forde converted a 22nd-minute free. Kildare failed to score again after Fennin's point and trailed 0-6 to 0-1 at the interval.
The impressive Ronan Sweeney followed up on his fine display against Meath the previous weekend and gave the home side something to cheer about when he landed a great point in the 39th.
Forde quickly replied to banish any notion that Kildare were about to take control. However, Kildare improved gradually as they stuck doggedly to their task.
Sweeney added a point and they gradually cut the deficit on Wexford with Karl Ennis and Sweeney adding scores.
Sweeney then levelled with five minutes of normal time remaining.
When Ennis gave Kildare the lead for the first time with three minutes left to play they seemed set to claim their third win in the competition and their second on the trot.
But substitute John Hudson won a free which Forde converted to make sure of the all-important point for the Slaneysiders.
KILDARE: E Murphy; A McLoughlin, K O'Neill, M Hogarty; P Mullarkey, G Ryan, D Lyons; M Foley, K Brennan; K Ennis (0-2), A Rainbow, D McCormack (0-1); T Fennin (0-1), R Sweeney (0-4, two frees), P O'Neill. Subs: J Divilly for Rainbow, J Lonergan for Fennin, E Callaghan for O'Neill.
WEXFORD: J Cooper; C Morris, P Wallace, N Murphy; K Kennedy, D Murphy (0-1), P Curtis; D Kinsella, R Stafford; C Deely (0-1), P Colfer, R Barry; PJ Banville, L Murphy (0-1), M Forde (0-5 all frees). Subs: J Hudson for Banville, S Cullen for Deely, T Howlin for Colfer, L O'Brien for L Murphy.
Referee P Russell (Tipperary).
