Kildare book semi-final date

Kildare booked a semi-final clash with Dublin thanks to this victory at St Conleth’s Park.

Paddy Brophy struck for goals in the ninth and 15th minutes as the hosts kicked 2-4 without reply to lead at half time by 2-11 to 0-4.

Brophy added a point soon after the restart to put 13 between the sides but Louth reduced the deficit to five with 12 minutes remaining thanks to goals from Cian Doyle and Stephen Kilcoyne.

But Kildare finished the strongest, two points from Niall Kelly and a Wayne Fitzpatrick free inside the final 10 minutes seeing it out.

Scorers for Kildare: P Brophy 2-3, N Kelly 0-4, W Fitzpatrick (3fs), N Flynn (1f) 0-3 each, S O’Flynn 0-2, R Houlihan 0-1.

Scorers for Louth: S Kilcoyne 1-3, C Doyle 1-1 (1f), R Quigley 0-3 (1f), D Marks 0-1.

KILDARE: C Heaney; P Mescall, S O’Hagan, T O’Connell; R Houlihan, D Hyland, D Duke; M Sherry, P Connell; S O’Flynn, N Kelly, C Healy; W Fitzpatrick, P Brophy, N Flynn.

Subs: K Mulhall for O’Hagan inj (28), S Christiansen for Connell (48), R Fitzgibbon for O’Flynn (50), M Kelly for Flynn (60).

LOUTH: S McQuillan; T McCann, K Lenehan, C Ward; E Lafferty, D McMahon, D Marks; C Grimes, C Cooney; W Campbell, J Stewart, K Murray; C Doyle, R Quigley, S Kilcoyne.

Subs: J Arrowsmith for Murray (21), M Newell for Campbell (35), S Matthews for Cooney (56).

Referee: A Nolan (Wicklow).