Kerry won their 20th national football league crown with a brilliant 0-20 to 1-16 victory over Dublin in a pulsating Croke Park clash.

With 53,840 spectators on the edge of their seats as an absorbing contest built to the most exciting of denouements, extra time looked almost inevitable as Dean Rock shaped up to take a late, late Dublin free from off the ground, straight in front of the posts, 46 metres out. The free had been conceded by Kerry substitute Anthony Maher (black card) as the holders strained to preserve their remarkable 36-game unbeaten streak in league and championship and at the same time to hold onto the title they won in each of the previous four seasons.

But Rock's shot flew through the electric air and struck the right upright at the Hill 16 end and the final whistle sparked delirium in the Kerry camp as they finally put one over on their arch rivals to claim this title for the first time since 2009.

The winners led by three going into four minutes of injury time but the Dubs rallied with a Rock brace and a point from substitute Paul Mannion after Kerry replacement Bryan Sheehan had registered at the other end.

The real winning of this game was at the start of the second half when - with Paul Geaney (0-8) leading the way - the Kingdom hit six unanswered points to turn a one-point interval deficit into a five-point lead

At the end of an incident-packed opening period that produced 14 scores from play and saw Dublin dynamo Diarmuid Connolly and Kerry's Jonathan Lyne black-carded, the hosts led by the odd point from 19.

The holders, who won the toss and opted to attack the Davin End in the first half, started as selected during the week, while Jack Barry and Jack Savage came into the Kerry starting XV in place of Maher and Stephen O'Brien respectively.

Paul Flynn and Savage traded the first two points after a Rock effort had struck the post and Paul Geaney edged the Kingdom ahead on six minutes before Philly McMahon found space to tie it up again in the eighth minute.

The sides were level for the third time on 15 minutes when the superb David Moran cancelled out a Rock free but there were two points between the teams for the first time when Ciaran Reddin and Ciaran Kilkenny popped over a couple of nice Dublin scores. Wing back Paul Murphy hit back on 19 minutes but quickfire scores from James McCarthy and Connolly made it 0-7 to 0-4 after 21 minutes.

Stephen Cluxton's excellent save denied Moran a Kerry goal and Donnchadh Walsh pulled one back before Rock popped over another free, with Lyne black-carded for his crude challenge on Connolly - 0-8 to 0-5 after 27 minutes.

Kerry captain Fionn Fitzgerald lifts the trophy.
©INPHO/James Crombie.

With his dander raised, Connolly was in turn black-carded for pulling down Lyne's replacement, Gavin Crowley, off the ball and the Kingdom edged back with points from Geaney (free) and Moran ('45') before the last four scores of the first half were traded: Reddin and Geaney (his third) with brilliant strikes at either end and Kilkenny and Barry also raising further white flags - 0-10 to 0-9 at the break.

James McCarthy was very lucky to escape a red card for catching Walsh during the first half, while the Kerry man retaliated and could also have been red-carded.

Kevin McCarthy had us level again four minutes after the restart and a brace of Geaney frees had the Munster champions ahead by two with 25 minutes left. Geaney's third successive free flew over after McMahon's closed fist made contact with his face. Geaney's seventh point came from play - a brilliant score - and his side led by four after 51 minutes.

Sub Mannon retorted to a seventh successive Kerry point from Michael Geaney, who replied instantly to make it 0-16 to 0-11 with 54 minutes played. Walsh and Rock traded wonderful strikes and the latter curled over a free from off the ground before Cluxton denied Tadhg Morley a Kerry goal and McMahon knocked the rebounder away from Kevin McCarthy.

Kerry led by four as we passed the hour mark but Mannion had the ball in their net in the 61st minute when his poorly-struck shot went through Brendan Kealy's legs and evaded two defenders on the line to find the left corner of the net and reduce the arrears to the minimum.

Geaney replied from the softest of Kerry frees awarded in front of the posts for a nothing McMahon challenge on Darran O'Sullivan, whose shot had flown wide. Kerry were still two ahead with as many minutes left to play…

Moran stretched the gap with a terrific score in the last minute of normal time.

Rock (2) and Mannion strived manfully to save the holders but Sheehan's point was ultimately the winner as Eamonn Fitzmaurice's men took the spoils and brought their unbeaten run to five - just 31 short of the Dublin record.

Kerry - B Kealy; F Fitzgerald, M Griffin, R Shanahan; P Murphy (0-1), T Morley, P Crowley; D Moran (0-3, 1'45), J Barry (0-1); D Walsh (0-2), M Geaney (0-2), J Lyne; J Savage (0-1), P Geaney (0-8, 5f), K McCarthy (0-1). Subs: G Crowley for J Lyne, D O'Sullivan for J Savage, BJ Keane for K McCarthy, B Sheehan (0-1) for D Walsh, A Maher for J Barry, A Spillane for M Geaney, A Maher (BC).

Dublin - S Cluxton; D Daly, M Fitzsimons, P McMahon (0-1); E Lowndes, C O'Sullivan, J McCarthy (0-1); C Kilkenny (0-2), B Fenton; P Flynn (0-1), C Reddin (0-2), D Rock (0-6, 4f); P Andrews, D Connolly (0-1), B Brogan. Subs: N Scully for D Connolly (BC), P Mannion (1-2) for P Andrews, MD Macauley for C Reddin, K McManamon for C O'Sullivan, D Byrne for E Lowndes, E O'Gara for P Flynn.

Referee - P Neilan.

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