A COMMANDING display from centre-half forward John Doyle with 1-8 ensured Kildare advanced to the next round of the All-Ireland football qualifiers following a tight encounter at Dr Hyde Park, Roscommon yesterday.

It was Padraig O'Neill's 64th-minute goal though which proved to be the decisive score.

The visitors may have played against the wind in the opening half but they led by 0-4 to 0-1 after just nine minutes with John Doyle registering three of Kildare's points with Roscommon's lone score coming from their only attack during this period.

Half-forward Doyle was certainly on fire and he gave John Crofton's side a fourpoint advantage in the 33rd minute when a Mark Hogarty fisted pass saw him get through to blast to the net.

Although Kildare had a chance to hit the net for a second time just before the interval thanks to good combined work from David Lyons, James Kavanagh and corner-forward Michael Conway it was good work from right corner-back Sean McDermott which ensured that danger was averted with a spectacular high catch and clearance.

A goal was certainly on the cards at this stage and in the 47th minute Gary Cox fed the ball to one of last year's AllIreland Minor winning side David Keenan; he in turn found Karol Mannion and the full-forward's powerful shot was planted in the back of the Kildare net.

This game wasn't over by any means as Kildare sprung back into the lead with a Padraig O'Neill goal after a fine dispatch by top scorer Doyle, which put the visitors into a late two-point advantage.

With eight minutes of injury time to play there was still time for Roscommon but it was Kildare who finished the strongest and a late John Doyle point kept their lead intact and saw them through to the next round.

KILDARE E Murphy; E Callaghan, K O'Neill, A McLoughlin; A Rainbow, M Hogarty, E Bolton (0-1); R Sweeney, D Lyons; J Kavanagh, J Doyle (1-8, 0-5 frees), K Donnelly (0-1); M Conway, J Philips (0-1), P O'Neill (1-2) Subs T Rossiter for Kavanagh, 53 mins; M Foley for Lyons, 58 mins; T Archibald for Rossiter, 70 mins ROSCOMMON G Claffey; S McDermott, A McDermott, P O'Connor; S Daly, J Nolan, R Dooner; S O'Neill (0-1), M Finneran; J Tiernan (0-1), G Cox (0-4, 0-2 frees), C Cregg (0-1); D Connellan (0-2), K Mannion (1-1), G Heneghan (0-3) Subs S Purcell for O'Connor, 9 mins; D Keenan for Dooner, 30 mins; E Kenny for Cregg, half-time; D Hoey for Tiernan, 70 mins Referee John Bannon (Longford)