Leinster SFC Quarter-final: For a team trying to reinvent themselves, Kildare can still conjure up some old tricks when they need to. Like poaching goals when they matter most, and turning hopes into certainties.

Yesterday in Mullingar, with time almost up and the game in the balance, Tadhg Fennin stole possession and slipped the ball into the Longford net. One minor error for Longford, one major break for Kildare. Yet it was the game's defining score, its turning point and an old Kildare trick all wrapped up as one.

The five-point defeat for Longford was a little hard. They had led for most of the first half and for a large part of second, but on the final whistle seemed as far short as ever of crossing the borderline that in Leinster separates class from contenders.

Manager Denis Connerton pointed out last week that Longford have gone 21 years without beating a notable county - Meath - in the senior championship. Yesterday their supporters in the crowd of 6,500 hoped this would be the occasion to end that daunting statistic.

And for a good hour Longford had done more or less everything right, even if that was in a poor game. Only in the last 10 minutes did things really start to crumble. Fennin's late goal was followed by a long-range point from substitute Padraig Hurley and with that the door was slammed shut on Longford.

Kildare, however, were probably the better side for longer periods than the scoreboard suggested. (They only led twice in the game: briefly in the first half, and late in the second.) The truth is Gavin Tonra pulled off two golden saves in the second half to keep Longford alive, and all the time Kildare's dominance around the middle of the field was gradually being revealed.

Much had been made about Kildare's reconstruction coming into this game, and how only seven players remained from last year's Leinster final. For the first time in recent years youth was certainly more dominant than experience.

It proved a healthy balance. Full back David Lyons, still only 20, was under the spotlight from the beginning when Niall Sheridan won the first test to send the ball into the Kildare net. But Lyons slowly settled and by the end had taken control with Brian Lacey and Andrew McLoughlin.

Up front, Stuart McKenzie Smith didn't score but certainly made the effort and remains a decent prospect. Michael Wright was filling the shoes for Glenn Ryan at centre back and should also gain considerable ground after this result.

Longford, too, had done some restructuring from last year, though mostly enforced. Yet Sheridan's goal after just two minutes, with midfielder John O'Callaghan the provider, gave them the start they wanted, and they managed to hold that momentum for the much of the first half - even if neither team was proving to be the smoothest of operations.

John Doyle's accuracy wasn't at its sharpest, and Paddy Murray would later be used for back-up, and it was Ronan Sweeney who chipped in with two early points to set Kildare in motion. Karl Ennis shot up for the third point, bringing the sides level again on the quarter-hour mark.

Still Longford were looking the more dangerous. Trevor Smullen had started as a third midfielder and worked particularly well with O'Callaghan. The problem is that already the signs were there that the strategy of delivering long, high ball to Sheridan and Padraic Davis would be limiting.

Paul Barden added a point, yet a lot more of the midfield area was now being controlled by Kildare, thanks to the tireless running of Killian Brennan. An easy free for Doyle briefly pushed Kildare in front, and suddenly it was as if Longford's attacking strategy had already broken down.

Smullen, restored into the forward line, then provided one of the rare scoring alternatives for Longford. O'Callaghan once again initiated the move, and Smullen breezed past two defenders before shooting superbly into the top corner of the Kildare goal. Not bad for a former basketball specialist.

Padraic Davis got his first free before the break, but overall his contribution was disappointing. Lacey played a major part in limiting his threat, yet the sort of magic he can produce deserted him. With Derek McCormack and a Doyle free closing out the half with further scores, Longford's lead was cut to the minimum - 2-2 to 0-7 - at the interval.

Surprisingly, it was Longford who restarted with the greater fire. First came a point from substitute Paul Ross, probably their best from play, and two frees for Davis, albeit interrupted by one for Kildare, helped push Longford three points clear. Even with 20 minutes to play the victory was there now for the tasting, but they would never quite lick it.

From then on Kildare were the only team with a true direction, but they had the courage too to follow it. McKenzie Smith forced the first great save from Tonra, then Murray, but after one more exchange of scores Kildare would simply move in for the knockout.

First substitute Eddie McCormack levelled the scores again, before Fennin's free pushed Kildare ahead. Then on 68 minutes a long ball from Anthony Rainbow was misread by corner Dermot Brady and it fell into the hands of Fennin.

With the raising of the green flag Kildare were now fixed on the victory, and easily handled any last efforts by Longford. A semi-final date with either Meath or Westmeath awaits, and with form in Kildare not nearly as low as perceived to be the summer might yet prove wrong all the forecasts.

KILDARE: E Murphy; B Lacey, D Lyons, A McLoughlin; A Rainbow, M Wright, K Ennis (0-2); K Brennan, A Barry; P Murray (0-2, both frees), J Doyle (0-3, all frees), R Sweeney (0-2); D McCormack (0-1), S McKenzie Smith, T Fennin (1-2, one free). Subs: P Hurley (0-1) for Barry, K Donnelly for McKenzie Smith (both 51 mins), E McCormack (0-1) for Murray (60 mins).

LONGFORD: G Tonra; D Brady, C Conefrey, F Coyle; M Mulleady, E Ledwith, A O'Connor; J O'Callaghan, T Smullen (1-0); M Lennon, P Barden (0-2), M Kelly; J Martin, N Sheridan (1-0), P Davis (0-3, all frees). Subs: J Kenny for Conefrey (33 mins, inj), P Ross (0-1) for Kelly (half-time), D Barden for Martin (41 mins), C Hannify for Coyle (65 mins), L Keenan for Lennon (66 mins).