Cillian O’Connor celebrates after kicking a point. Picture: INPHO/Bryan Keane

Mayo are into the quarter-finals of the All-Ireland senior championship after coming from six points down to defeat Kildare by 2-13 to 0-14 in their Round 2 qualifier at Croke Park on Saturday evening.

Mayo were second best for long periods of the game and looked set to be knocked out of the championship when they trailed by 0-11 to 0-5 after 41 minutes.

But they rallied brilliantly in the closing half-hour, with Lee Keegan, Mattie Ruane and Diarmuid O’Connor all coming to the fore, and when Oisin Mullin fired home a goal just past the hour mark, it brought Mayo back to level pegging.

Late points from Fergal Boland, Cillian O’Connor and Darren McHale pushed Mayo into the lead and with Kildare pushing high up the field deep into injury-time in search of a late goal, Mayo were able to break downfield at speed and substitute Jordan Flynn scored a spectacular, opportunistic goal, lobbing the retreating Kildare goalkeeper Aaron O’Neill from over 40 metres to give Mayo a five-point cushion at the final whistle.

Mayo will play one of the provincial champions in the quarter-finals, with the draw due to be held this Monday and the games set for the weekend after next, June 25-26.