Dublin 3-10
Kerry 1-15

For the second successive Croke Park Saturday, Dublin's goals column proved the key statistic in a big Division 1 victory.

They put three goals past All-Ireland champions Cork last week and repeated the trick to inflicted a second defeat in three Allianz National Football League games on Kerry this time around.

And it was an almost identikit performance from Pat Gilroy's side, with Mossy Quinn and Kevin McManamon again firing first goals before a midfielder added a third after the break - Michael Darragh Macauley filling the role played by Barry Cahill against Cork.

In a cracking encounter which ebbed and flowed throughout, the first two scores both saw the ball hit the net.

First, Quinn found the net inside three minutes and once again, as in the case for all three goals against Cork, Bernard Brogan was the creator.

Kerry hit back at the other end with Bryan Sheehan converting an eighth minute penalty to level. It was a second penalty in about ten minutes of action for the Cahirciveen man, who came off the bench to fire the late kick which decided last week's win over Mayo, and he placed his shot to the same part of the net past Stephen Cluxton.

The goals kept coming and a few minutes later Kevin McManamon struck for the second successive game with a powerful finish past Brendan Kealy. Less than a quarter of an hour had gone, and the scoreline stood at 2-2 to 1-1 for the Dubs.

With Marc O Sé getting to grips with Bernard Brogan, the Dubs struggled for any real fluency for the remainder of the half and Kerry were level by the break (1-6 to 2-3) courtesy of good scores from Colm Cooper, Sheehan and David Moran.

Two more from Sheehan maintained Kerry's forward momentum at the start of the second half but Dublin's eye for goal had kept them in the game and they found another vital score to turn the tie on its head.

Declan Lally got forward from the half back line to blaze over for a point from a clear goal chance, but moments later Michael Darragh Macauley cut inside to hammer past Kealy for his side's third goal.

As if to underline the point, the Dubs could have had a fourth within a minute with substitute Alan Brogan opting to fist over the bar.

Sheehan, Donnacha Walsh and Darran O'Sullivan chipped away at the Dublin advantage before Colm Cooper took over, scoring off each foot to haul Kerry level.

Just as the momentum seemed to be going in Kerry's direction, Brogan finally got away from O Sé to curl over the lead point with his left - his first score from play - and Sheehan's 55-metre free deep into injury time dropped just wide of the post.

Dublin: S Cluxton; A Hubbard, S Murray, M Fitzsimons; D Lally (0-1), J McCarthy, P Casey; D Bastick, B Cahill; P Flynn (0-1), K McManamon (1-1), D Connolly; T Quinn (1-0), E O'Gara (0-1), B Brogan (0-4, 3 frees). Subs used: MD Macauley (1-1) for Bastick (half-time), A Brogan (0-1) for Quinn, B Cullen for Connolly (both 49), G Brennan for McCarthy (52), P Andrews for Flynn (64).

Kerry: B Kealy; P Reidy, M O Se, K Young; T O Se, E Brosnan, A O'Mahony; S Scanlon, B Sheehan (1-5, 1 penalty, 4 frees); D Moran (0-1), Darran O'Sullivan (0-2), D Walsh (0-1); C Cooper (0-6, 1 free), K Donaghy, D Geaney. Subs used: K O'Leary for D Geaney (21 mins), J Lyne for T O Se (54), A Maher for Brosnan (58), A O'Connell for O'Mahony (66).

Referee: Marty Duffy (Sligo) Tweet

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