Holders Dublin defeated Donegal by 1-15 to 1-10 in front of a full house at Croke Park, despite having two men sent off in the second half.

Diarmuid Connolly was dismissed for a second yellow card twelve minutes after the restart and substitute Eoghan O'Gara received a straight red in injury time as the Tir Chonail men threw everything at the defending All-Ireland champions but came up short in energy-sapping conditions.

Ryan McHugh's 44^th-minute major and a series of frees from Michael Murphy and Patrick McBrearty helped the losers pare a seven-point deficit down to three on a couple of occasions but Dubs sub Paul Mannion settled the contest with a superb three-pointer as he casually slotted to the net in the sixth added minute to double the difference and confirm the winners' passage to a semi-final date with Kerry in three weeks.

Ciaran Kilkenny, Kevin McManamon and John Small were magnificent for Jim Gavin's charges, who never looked like losing even when things started to go against them.

Two inspirational Connolly points - one off either foot - were the highlights of a thoroughly-professional, Dublin-dominated first half which ended with the holders ahead by 0-9 to 0-4, the losers mustering just one point from play during that period.

The Dubs went straight into attack but Mark Anthony McGinley denied Connolly a first-minute goal before McBrearty missed a couple of chances at the other end.

Dean Rock curled a '45' into Hill 16 to open the scoring in the sixth minute and Philly McMahon doubled the gap after Connolly and Ryan McHugh were shown yellow cards. Murphy opened Donegal's account from a routine 13^th-minute free and was fortunate to stay on the field moments later after connecting crudely with Brian Fenton.

Connolly fired a great goal chance right and wide before Murphy nailed a '45' to tie the scores up. But it was soon double scores again when McManamon created a point for Rock (free) before clipping one over himself - 0-4 to 0-2 after 23 minutes.

Kilkenny punctuated a patient Dublin build-up with their third successive point ten minutes from the break and Connolly and Paddy Andrews -  a late replacement for the injured James McCarthy - added sublime strikes after Murphy had swept over another free from 50 metres. Connolly closed the first-half scoring with a spectacular left-footed point after Rock (free) and Anthony Thompson had traded scores.

McManamon fisted the first point of the second half and the gap went out to seven when Rock swung over another free. But the game then exploded to life as Ryan McHugh fisted to the Dublin net in the 44^th minute at the end of a terrific counter-attack after McBrearty pointed and the Dubs were reduced to 14 men for the last 23 minutes when Connolly foolishly picked up a second yellow and a red: 0-12 to 1-5 and 14 men V 15!

Murphy's splendid free left potentially just one score between the sides but McManamon supplied the insurance point on the hour - his third outstanding strike of the game before full back Jonny Cooper all but settled the contest with his team's 14^th point eight minutes from the end.

McBrearty tapped over a close-range free five minutes from time and Murphy slotted another in the 67^th minute to leave a goal between the teams but Mannion replied in the 69^th. Only on the field for a matter of minutes, O'Gara was shown a straight red in the third of six added minutes and McBrearty reduced the arrears again from a pointed free.

Donegal needed another goal to force a replay but it instead arrived at the Davin End as Mannion calmly sealed victory for the all-conquering Dubs. Murphy blasted a late free goalwards and the ball was deflected over the bar as his side's year came to an end and the Metropolitans marched on.

Dublin - S Cluxton; P McMahon (0-1), J Cooper (0-1), David Byrne; C Kilkenny (0-1), C O'Sullivan, J Small; B Fenton, M D Macauley; K McManamon (0-3), D Connolly (0-2), P Flynn; D Rock (0-5f, 4f, 1'45), P Andrews (0-1), B Brogan. Subs: D Daly for B Brogan, D Bastick for M D Macauley, P Mannion (1-1) for P Andrews, E O'Gara for K McManamon, E Lowndes for D Rock, M Fitzsimons for B Fenton (BC).

Donegal - M A McGinley; E McGee, N McGee, A Thompson (0-1); K Lacey, M O'Reilly, P McGrath; R Kavanagh, O MacNiallais; R McHugh (1-0), M McElhinney, F McGlynn; P McBrearty (0-3, 2f), M Murphy (0-6, 5f, 1'45), E McHugh. Subs: C Gillespie for O MacNiallais, L McLoone for R Kavanagh, C Toye for A Thompson, M McHugh for E McGee, C Thompson for M McElhinney, C McFadden for K Lacey.

Referee - C Branagan.

Tweet

Most Read Stories