Women's Football Leinster championship: Dublin survived a fright from Kildare to chalk up their second Leinster championship victory at Sarsfields yesterday, 5-14 to 3-11.

Kildare entered the game as underdogs but took the game to the reigning champions and trailed by only a point at the break , 2-7 to 3-5.

Dublin pulled away on the resumption, scoring 2-1 in the first seven minutes of the second half to remain on course to retain their provincial crown.

Tracy Noone had given Kildare an early lead with a quick point and although Sinéad Aherne levelled for Dublin it was last year's All-Ireland junior champions who looked the brighter.

Simone Gilabert hit 1-1 to give Kildare a deserved lead inside 10 minutes. Aherne replied with 1-1 for Dublin but Kildare continued to push forward and were in front again soon after. Gillian Behan scored their second goal as Kildare hit 1-3 without reply.

The gap appeared to stir Dublin into life and they hit 2-2 in the final minutes of the half to lead at the break. Aherne and Angie McNally, who finished with 2-2, grabbed the goals.

Dublin burst out of the blocks on the restart and a goal by Louise Kelly stunned Kildare. McNally added her second goal soon after to effectively kill off the Kildare challenge.

Elsewhere yesterday, Meath bounced back from last week's defeat to Dublin by hammering Longford in Navan, 6-23 to 0-3.

The Laois and Louth clash which was due to take place in Stradbally was called off.