Senior footballers edged out in titanic league decider

KERRY 0-20 DUBLIN 1-16

Dublin's stranglehold on the NFL Division 1 title was broken by a ravenous Kerry side in Sunday's pulsating encounter in Croke Park.

An attendance of 53,840 flocked to GAA headquarters for a great double header and in the top-flight duel the Dubs fell just shy with Dean Rock hitting the right upright with the last kick of the match in the fourth minute of added time.

These counties have served up some memorable games during their modern rivalry and Sunday's most recent installment did not lack for intensity or drama.

Dublin led by the minimum, 0-10 to 0-9, at the break but it was Kerry's scoring surge on the restart which ultimately decided the game.

The Dubs, as ever, fought to the end with the introduction of Michael Darragh Macauley, Paul Mannion - who scored 1-2 from play - and Kevin McManamon injected live into a Dublin display that played second fiddle to the Kingdom for stretches of the contest.

Kerry looked hungrier around the breaking ball and in many respects beat Dublin at the own game with the half-back line breaking forward with pace and power to put the Dubs on the back foot, particularly during that key third quarter.

The black card for Diarmuid Connolly in the 30th minute didn't help Dublin's cause, to state the obvious, as the St Vincent's forward was showing signs of becoming an influential character in the game.

Goal-scoring chances were at a premium but Stephen Cluxton did superbly to deny Kerry on two occasions and after the second one Philly McMahon foiled Kerry on the follow-up.

Kerry hit five unanswered points at the start of the second half and unlike on so many occasions during this league Dublin could not find the winning scores.

Dublin's goal arrived eight minutes from time with Michael Darragh Macauley breaking though the Kerry defence before off-loading to Mannion who did excellently to cut back on his less favoured right foot and slide the ball to the net to make it 0-17 to 1-13.

However, a Paul Geaney free and David Moran score from play gave Kerry breathing space, Dublin came again but Bryan Sheehan curled over a fine point on the run.

But Dublin came once last time. Mick Fitzsimons was breaking through the middle at pace but was hauled down by Anthony Maher, who was shown a black card, up stepped Dean Rock but his long-range effort was inches away from forcing extra-time.

SCORERS - Kerry: P Geaney 0-8 (0-5f), D Moran 0-3 (0-1 '45'), M Geaney, D Walsh 0-2 each, P Murphy, J Barry, K McCarthy, J Savage, B Sheehan 0-1 each. Dublin: D Rock 0-6 (0-4f), P Mannion 1-2, C Kilkenny, C Reddin 0-2 each, P McMahon, J McCarthy, P Flynn, D Connolly 0-1 each.

KERRY: B Kealy; R Shanahan M Griffin, F Fitzgerald; T Morley, P Murphy, P Crowley; D Moran, J Barry; J Lyne, M Geaney, D Walsh; K McCarthy, P Geaney, J Savage. Subs: G Crowley for Lyne (bc, 27), D O'Sullivan for Savage (59), BJ Keane for McCarthy (62), B Sheehan for Walsh (67), A Maher for Barry (70), A Spillane for M Geaney (72).

DUBLIN: S Cluxton; P McMahon, M Fitzsimons, D Daly; J McCarthy, C O'Sullivan E Lowndes; B Fenton, C Kilkenny; P Flynn, D Connolly, C Reddin; B Brogan, D Rock, P Andrews. Subs: N Scully for Connolly (bc, 30), P Mannion for Andrews (41), MD Macauley for Reddin (48), K McManamon for O'Sullivan (49), D Byrne for Lowdes (60), E O'Gara for Flynn (68).

REF: P Neilan (Roscommon).