Seamus McEnaney celebrates at the final whistle at Croke Park on Sunday.

From zero to hero in the space of 70 sensational Leinster SFC semi-final minutes.

Meath senior football manager Seamus McEnaney's share price rocketed at Croke Park on Sunday after his team delivered the shock of the summer so far.

Meath dumped high-profile Kildare out of the Leinster SFC title race with an emphatic, no-frills performance that smacked of the great Meath teams of the recent past.

Injury-plagued Meath had to start without regular full-back Kevin Reilly, team captain Seamus Kenny and with Stephen Bray struggling for fitness.

Against all odds Meath produced a heroic performance that has the country talking and the pundits revising their obituaries.

The six-point, 1-17 to 1-11, victory was thoroughly deserved as shell-shocked Kildare were consigned to the qualifiers where they were handed a potentially explosive ticket to Breffni Park and a showdown with Cavan on Sunday week.

For Meath, the reward is a Leinster final day out at Croke Park where all the pressure will be on Pat Gilroy's Dublin who played in fits and starts against Wexford before recording a 2-11 to 1-10 victory.

To read full coverage of Meath's victory including interviews and analysis, see this week's Meath Chronicle, on sale now.