THERE'S a famous picture in these parts. It's of Padraig Nolan's beaming smile shadowing a wincing Tommy Lyons. It's of Kildare winning the Leinster under-21 final replay in 2004. Times were changing. Briefly it seemed.

They went at it again last year. Same scenario, different outcome and yesterday a brimming rivalry finally drew to a close, quietly in Newbridge rather than under the glare of silverware.

Injuries never helped Kildare's cause. Michael Conway, Tommy Archibold, John Fogarty and James Kindregan were all well gone before a crowd was drawn.

But you should never assume Kildare will lose when they're down. They've a habit of climbing to tired feet and stabbing confidence in the back. Dublin felt a tingle in their spines at half-time; they had long fallen by the finish.

And all this after the visitors had made the brighter start. John Coughlan shot over from 40 yards before Michael McCauley did likewise. But that was as much as was ever between the sides in that opening period.

Kildare, through Padraig O'Neill in particular, battled back. Their defence quite literally started with the full-forward who managed to tag on three points when putting his tireless chasing to one side.

Thomas O'Connor, too, was vital, continually dropping deep to assist Darryl Flynn and Gary Whyte's efforts in centre field.

The best of the lot came six minutes from the interval.

Ross Glavin dissected the Dublin half-back line, Mark Behan tussled and turned before O'Neill slotted between the posts.

It left the home side 0-5 to 0-4 to the good. A static start buried through fluidity. Yet they shouldn't have led at the break. Dublin's wastefulness was costing them dearly.

Their star attraction in the corner, Mark Vaughan, became a spectator. His supply was limited and his frustration mirrored his side's efforts. Seven wides in that half hour never aided an ailing cause.

They threatened to continue in that vein from the restart, Gerard Brennan blazing wide from close in. But even when Kevin Leahy pointed two frees . . . one sweetly, one when Aidan Downes might have been given the advantage to goal . . . Kildare never lost their composure.

A brilliant Emmet Bolton point spurred Liam McLoughlin's side on, while some late challenges had a Thomond Park effect.

The last quarter was far too pulsating for a heart recovering from Christmas.

John O'Brien left the bench to kick a scintillating point but anything he could do, Kildare could do better. Robbie Dunne entered and set up Thomas O'Connor. Kildare were the hungrier but still looked vulnerable on the break.

One such move from Dublin had a major bearing five minutes from time.

Shane McCormack had just saved brilliantly from O'Brien when Tomas Brady uttered a word too many. A second yellow gave Kildare numerical advantage in all senses.

It was enough. Glavin cleaned up along the 40 and even points from Kevin Leahy and Ian Ward weren't enough for Dublin. Sarsfields duo Gary Whyte and Alan Smith had twice raised more than one white flag before the superb O'Neill wrapped it up a minute from time.

Kildare have thrust themselves ahead of the bunch in Leinster. But they've never liked it there and despite the performance this was still only the first round. They'd be better off putting that photograph away for safe keeping for the moment.

KILDARE S McCormack; C Fadian, E Naughton, I Lonergan; M Scanlon, R Glavin, E Bolton (0-2); G Whyte (0-2), D Flynn; A Smith (0-1), P Golden, T O'Connor (0-1); M Behan, P O'Neill (0-5, two frees), J Kavanagh (0-1) Subs M O'Sullivan for Behan, h-t; R Dunne for Golden, 48 mins

DUBLIN M Savage; A Downes, W Lowry, D Walsh; D Reilly, G Brennan, I Ward (0-1); J Coughlan (0-1), B Phelan; K Leahy (0-4, two frees), M McAuley (0-1), G O'Meara; T Brady, B Kelly, M Vaughan (0-1) Subs N Corkery for O'Meara, 26 mins; C Moore for McAuley, 41 mins; J O'Brien (0-1) for Kelly, 46 mins