Football League Division One: Tyrone secure last-gasp win over Kildare

Fergal Conway and Cathal McShane in action as Tyrone beat Kildare

Mattie Donnelly was the hero for Tyrone as his 75th-minute point secured a crucial 1-16 to 0-18 win over Kildare in a thrilling contest at Newbridge.

Lee Brennan's goal helped Tyrone go in 1-8 to 0-10 ahead at the interval.

The Division One match could have gone either way as the teams were level on seven separate occasions but Tyrone did just enough to see it out.

Both counties had lost their opening two games so Kildare now face an uphill battle to avoid relegation.

As the snow descended, the Lilywhites made a promising start with Kevin Feely, Fergal Conway (2) and Ben McCormack all on target inside the opening 10 minutes.

Niall Sludden replied with the Red Hands' opener on 12 minutes but Peter Kelly pointed for the hosts, only for Brennan to close the gap to three again with a free.

Tiernan McCann and Brennan (free) reduced their side's deficit to a single point by the 20th minute, only for Feely to double Kildare's lead with a sweetly-struck free.

But in the 28th minute, Brennan collected Cathal McShane's delivery to plant his shot in the net, before Connor McAliskey gave the visitors the lead for the first time in stoppage time, his lobbed effort just clearing the crossbar with the goalkeeper stranded.

Tyrone took a one-pint advantage into the break, and despite the best efforts of Kildare midfielder Feely, the home side just could not get their noses back in front.

It was point for point as Feely converted a string of frees, with the Ulster county responding through McShane, Padraig McNulty, Connor McAliskey, Darren McCurry and Donnelly.

They were level going into the last five minutes, but McShane nudged Tyrone back in front.

Feely, with his eighth point of the contest, levelled again, and it was in the 75th minute that Red Hand skipper Donnelly struck a gem from far out on the left wing for the decisive score.