Kildare retained their senior championship status in a drama-filled TG4 All-Ireland SFC relegation play-off tie when Neasa Dooley kept her nerve to slot home a winning penalty in the final play at Netwatch Cullen Park in Carlow.
Laois thought they had won the encounter when Laura Marie Maher hit the net moments earlier to complete a remarkable comeback.
But Kildare won the kickout, worked the ball into their forwards where they were awarded a free. Roisin Byrne, just back from the sin-bin, saw her free come back off the post into the hands of Lara Gilbert who was upended for the penalty which Dooley converted despite a great effort from substitute keeper Naomi Luttrell.
It was a tight opening quarter with the sides level on three occasions, the last on 14 minutes when Mo Nerney pointed a Laois free. The O'Moore County sharpshooter was then sin-binned on 20 minutes and Kildare went on to take advantage scoring 0-6 without reply to lead 0-9 to 0-3 at the break.
Mia Doherty, Leah Doran, Byrne, Erin Brereton Foley, Gilbert and Dooley all raised white flags for the Lilywhites in that second quarter.
Byrne brought the lead out to seven points in the 37th minute but as the game became even more tense Kildare lost Claire Sullivan and Byrne to the sin-bin. Laois reduced the deficit to three points by the 55th minute with points from Nerney, Maher and Katie Donoghue, while Kildare goalkeeper Anna Dunlea saved well from Nerney and Laois captain Andrea Moran.
Just as Kildare were restored to 14 players they lost captain Grace Clifford to the sin-bin on 56 minutes but two minutes later Laois centre half-back Anna Moore received a straight red card.
Laois looked like they had won the game with Maher's goal but the drama wasn’t finished and Dooley kept Kildare in the top flight for 2025 with her last gasp penalty.
Kildare: A Dunlea; F Troute, A Reynolds, A Clifford; E O’Toole, L Shaw, L Gilbert (0-01); G Clifford, L Doran (0-01); C Sullivan, N Dooley (1-01, 1pen), M Doherty (0-01); E Dowling (0-01), R Byrne (0-04, 1f), E Brereton Foley (0-01).
Subs: A Rattigan for Dowling (ht), S Munnelly for Sullivan 50.
Laois: E Barry; F McEvoy, S Farrelly, G Lalor; M Cotter, A Moore, L Kearney; A Moran (0-01), LM Maher (1-01); K Donoghue (0-01), A Ryle, G Moran; M Nerney (0-04, 1f), O Hennessy, E Lacey
Subs: A Byron (0-01) for Moran (ht), A Fitzpatrick for Lacey, 49, N Luttrell for Barry 59.
Referee: Philip Conway (Armagh)
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