Longford champions Fr Manning Gaels sprang a big surprise when they beat Kildare team Clane at Pearse Park on Saturday.

Backboned by six of the Kildare panel, Clane were the hot favourites, but they failed to match the great commitment of the Gaels, who led throughout a cracking contest.

Thanks to points from Padraig Davis (3), Michael Mulleady, James Breslin and Colin Hannify, the home side held a fairly commanding 0-6 to 0-2 lead at the break and extended their advantage with a further brace of scores from Breslin soon after the resumption.

Clane gradually got their act together, and with eight minutes of the game remaining they had narrowed the gap to just two points, 010 to 0-8, following scores by Martin Lynch (3), Paul McLaughlin (2) and Paul McCormack.

However, Fr Manning Gaels refused to relinquish their grip on the game and came storming back in the closing stages with three points from the deadly accurate Padraig Davis clinching them a place in the Leinster semi-final against Carlow champions, Eire Og.

Fr Manning Gaels: E Crowe; M Kane, G Brady, M Diffley; S Gallagher, F McNamee, Martin Mulleady; J Fitzpatrick, D Hannify (0-1); P Brady, J Breslin (0-3), C Hannify (0-1); Michael Mulleady (0-1), P Davis (0-7, five frees), J Tully. Subs: P McWade for Diffley (42 mins); J Davis for Tully (47 mins).

Clane: S Farrell; B Connolly, T Cribbin, B Gleeson; M Connell, W McCreery, B Cahill; B Murphy, P McCormack (0-2); E McCormack, P McLaughlin (0-2), J Finn; B O'Donovan (0-1), M Lynch (0-5, all frees), D O'Connell. Subs: J Chatten for Finn (13 mins); R Dunne for Chatten (45 mins).

Referee: J Harlin, Meath.