All-Ireland Football 4B qualifier: Kildare 0-17 Armagh 1-17

Armagh hit five of the last six scores to battle past Kildare at Croke Park

Armagh will face Ulster champions Tyrone in the All-Ireland Football quarter-finals after earning a superb 1-17 to 0-17 win over Kildare.

Andrew Murnin's goal just before half-time proved the crucial score as his forward colleague Jamie Clarke produced a display of running and invention.

Armagh led 1-8 to 0-8 at half-time after earlier leading 0-6 to 0-3.

Kildare fought back to lead by one after 56 minutes but Armagh hit five of the last six scores to triumph.

With six different scores on target, Armagh moved into an early 0-6 to 0-3 lead with the Lilywhites also lucky not to have keeper Mark Donnellan black carded for a blatant body check on Murnin when Armagh led 0-5 to 0-3.

Kildare hit four unanswered scores to lead 0-7 to 0-6 but Murnin's goal on 31 minutes helped Armagh take a 1-8 to 0-8 advantage into half-time with the forward finishing to the net from close range after Mick O'Grady's despairing attempt to block the goalscorer's initial shot.

Rory Grugan set up up the goal as he cut inside from the left wing before putting Murnin in the clear.

Another Murnin point increased Armagh's lead to four after the resumption but Kildare responded with five of the next six scores to draw level by the 46th minute.

Kildare twice moved ahead early in the final quarter, helped by two Fergal Conway points, but a brilliant Clarke score from a tight angle got Armagh on terms in the 58th minute before Grugan nudged then into a lead a minute later which they never lost.

Outstanding defender Brendan Donaghy then got in on the scoring act in the 61st minute and substitute Ethan Rafferty's thumping score from long range restored Armagh's two-point lead five minutes later after Kildare free-taker Kevin Feely, following five earlier successful place-kicks, had wasted a glorious opportunity to get his side of terms from a straightforward 30-metre free.

Man of the match Clarke's running set up a successful free for Niall Grimley with two minutes of normal time remaining and it proved the last score of the contest even though five minutes of injury-time were played.

Kieran McGeeney's substitutions played a huge role in Armagh's success as they progressed to a last-eight spot that had looked highly unlikely after their Ulster quarter-final defeat by Down in early June.