Con O’Callaghan came up huge down the home stretch as Dublin claimed their first win of the 2026 Allianz Football League by handing Monaghan their third defeat of the campaign.

The 1-18 to 0-17 victory at Croke Park saw Ger Brennan’s men hitting a goal through Joe Quigley to surge in front in the 66th minute before ‘Man of the Match’ O’Callaghan, Sean Bugler and Greg McEneaney shot over their last three scores to earn their first win in Division 1 at the third attempt.

An airtight first-half at headquarters saw the sides level six times, with Aaron Carey’s point leaving it at 0-7 apiece when the sides went in, and Dessie Ward would fire over the first two scores of the second-half for the Farney men.

O’Callaghan, who finished with 0-8, sailed over a free in response for the Leinster side, but their Ulster counterparts would move four in front after Rory Beggan’s expertly sailed ‘45’ was backed up by the points of Carey and Andrew Woods.

The Dubs squared things up with points via Paddy Small and Ross McGarry ahead of an O’Callaghan two-pointer and went in front again through Bugler, but Monaghan made another push that saw Micheál Bannigan and Ryan Wylie each raising the umpire’s white flag and Beggan nailing a free from beyond the arc in the 63rd minute.

Beggan’s orange flag was erased by O’Callaghan's superb effort off his left boot three minutes later and Quigley hit the jackpot in the very next attack ahead of O’Callaghan leaving a goal between the sides and Bugler and McEneaney then putting a seal on the Dubs’ vital victory.  

📺 WATCH: FULL-TIME HIGHLIGHTS 🎞️

Dublin are victorious at Croke Park in Division 1 of the Allianz Football League@DubGAAOfficial 1-18@monaghangaa 0-17

Watch the best of the action here 👇👇#AllianzLeagues #DUBvMON pic.twitter.com/4qg9AyehQ6

— The GAA (@officialgaa) February 14, 2026

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