Dublin will be playing their league football in Division 2 next season after Monaghan secured their topflight status with a 3-13 to 1-18 victory over the capital men in Clones this afternoon.

In what was a cracking encounter, a goal from Sean Jones nine minutes handed the Farney men the perfect start and they’d go on to lead by 1-7 to 0-8 at the half.

The hosts were minus the services of talisman Conor McManus for this one until the dying stages but Jack McCarron filled the void, slotting home a penalty six minutes into the restart that had the Dubs seven points adrift.

Dessie Farrell’s men narrowed the deficit back to three via points from Cormac Costello, Sean Bugler and Dean Rock but a brilliantly finished goal from McCarron that saw the ace attacker chipping the ‘keeper had Monaghan back six to the good.

With their Division 1 status on the line, the Leinster champions battled to the end and looked like snatching a result when they were awarded a penalty which Rock expertly converted.

However, McCarron would have the final say with a coolly stroked free deep in injury-time which preserves Monaghan’s status, demoting Dublin in the process.

In Killarney, All-Ireland champions Tyrone secured their Division 1 status with a hard fought 1-15 to 2-11 win over Kerry.

Having led by 0-9 to 1-5 at the half, the Red Hands had had the same minimum margin to spare at the final whistle as they inflicted the Kingdom with their first defeat of the campaign.

Tony Brosnan’s 52nd minute penalty looked like turning the game in the hosts’ favour but Darren McCurry, who finished with 1-7 on the day, hammered in a goal in immediate response for Tyrone.

From there, the Ulster men saw out victory with Peter Harte pushing their lead to two late on ahead and they defended like demons until the finish only giving up a Paudie Clifford free.

Jordan Flynn fires in Mayo's goal against Kildare ©INPHO/Conor McKeown

Next up for Kerry is a date with Mayo in the Division 1 decider next Sunday at Croke Park (4pm) after the Connacht champions relegated Kildare with a convincing 2-20 to 0-18 win in Carrick-on-Shannon.

Ryan O’Donoghue’s goal was what saw Mayo lead at half-time (1-10 to 0-12) and they’d produce the second-half goods to cement their final place.

Points from Padraig O’Hora and Michael Plunkett early in the restart were backed up by a Jordan Flynn goal on the 50-minute mark that had the Westerners leading 2-14 to 0-16.

The Lilywhites would only manage two more points from there, one of them from Darragh Kirwan, which wasn’t enough to save them from joining their neighbours in making the drop down to Division 2.

In Letterkenny, Donegal held on for a 1-14 to 1-13 victory against Armagh to seal their own status in the top division.

Declan Bonner’s men had raced out of the traps and Jason McGee’s goal would surge them towards a 1-10 to 1-5 lead at the half.

Aidan Nugent grabbed Armagh’s goal in the run up to the break and the Orchard men would dominate large portions of the third quarter to reduce their deficit to just one.

Paddy McBrearty and Rian O’Neill exchanged points down the home stretch before McBrearty had the final say to clinch the win for his side at O’Donnell Park, where scuffles broke out after the final whistle adding some spice ahead of the two counties’ Ulster SFC quarter-final encounter in four weeks’ time.

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