An injury-time point from substitute Bernard Brogan earned Dublin a dramatic 1-14 to 0-16 victory over Monaghan at Croke Park.

In a pulsating encounter played out under lights in front of 17,080 sectators, Conor McManus found the target twelve times for the Ulster champions, including the lead point on 66 minutes, but late scores from Cormac Costello and Brogan gave the holders the narrowest of victories at the end of a magnificent contest.

Diarmuid Connolly netted the only goal of the game when he calmly despatched a 41st-minute penalty, a score which proved decisive as the Dubs preserved their 100% record.

Three late Dean Rock converted frees ensured that the All-Ireland champions led by the odd point from 19 at the end of a highly entertaining opening period. With five unanswered points between the 13th and 16th minutes, Monaghan - driven on by defensive rocks Drew Wylie and Colin Walshe - had assumed a commanding 0-7 to 0-2 lead.

McManus won and converted a free to give the Ulster champions the lead inside a minute and, after a couple of wides, Costello slotted the equaliser in the sixth. McManus edged the Farney back in front with a superb finish on the turn in the twelfth minute only for corner back Philly McMahon to equalise instantly.

McManus arrowed over a sensational point and Owen Duffy made it double scores on 14 minutes, 0-4 to 0-2. Almost immediately, Kieran Hughes notched the visitors' third unanswered score inside 90 seconds!

McManus (free) and Kieran Hughes stretched the gap to five before Rock ended the Monaghan scoring run by converting a free, won by Connolly. Emmet O Conghaile and Rock closed the gap to two before wing back Kieran Duffy swapped points with Rock (free). McManus' fifth point from five efforts arrived from a 25th-minute free: 0-9 to 0-6.

McMahon got forward for his second point for the hosts and three Rock frees on 32, 35 and 37 minutes - bringing his tally to 0-6 - handed Jim Gavin's men a 0-10 to 0-9 interval edge.

Rock clipped over his fourth consecutive pointed free at the start of the second half and a foul on Paul Flynn earned Dublin a penalty, which Connolly fired to the net, sending Rory Beggan the wrong way to make it a five-point match - 1-11 to 0-9. A McManus free on 42 minutes ended Dublin's scoring streak of 1-5.

McManus' seventh point arrived from a 47th-minute free, won by Karl O'Connell, and the Clontibret ace curled over another on 47 minutes before his fourth consecutive free had it back to a one-point match. Flynn came back onto the field to double the difference with 13 minutes left, 1-12 to 0-13.

McManus pointed yet another Monaghan free on the hour to again reduce the arrears to the minimum and the All Star attacker notched his eleventh to bring his side level eight minutes from the end.

McManus then bought and converted a free to give the underdogs the lead but Costello equalised in the 67th minute. In the most dramatic of denouements, Brogan atoned for a few earlier misses by nailing the winner in the first of four added minutes.

Ultimately, Dublin took the two points but Monaghan certainly laid down a marker at Croke Park tonight.

Dublin - S Cluxton; David Byrne, M Fitzsimons, P McMahon (0-2); J McCarthy, C O'Sullivan, J Small; D Bastick, E O Conghaile (0-1); P Flynn (0-1), D Connolly (1-0 pen), T Brady; P Andrews, D Rock (0-7, 6f), C Costello (0-2). Subs: S Carthy for D Bastick, J Cooper for M Fitzsimons, B Brogan (0-1) for T Brady, P Ryan for D Rock, B Fenton for E O Conghaile, S Carthy (St Vincents) for D Connolly.

Monaghan - R Beggan; R Wylie, D Wylie, C Walshe; K Duffy (0-1), F Kelly, K O'Connell; K Hughes (0-1), N McAdam; S Carey, D Malone, T Kerr; O Duffy (0-1), D Hughes (0-1), C McManus (0-12, 9f). Subs: D Mone for K Hughes, C Boyle for R Wylie, R McAnespie for O Duffy, C McCarthy for D Malone, D McKenna for S Carey.

Referee - P Hughes.

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