Dubs pick up first win of league campaign

Donegal 1-8 Dublin 0-13

It was tight at the finish but Dublin deservedly chalked up their first Allianz NFL Division 1 win under manager Pat Gilroy as they turned in a gutsy performance at Ballyshannon.

The Dubs won the toss and elected to play with a blustery wind at their backs in the opening half - that decision paid off as they built up a 0-7 to 0-1 half-time lead.

They grabbed opening points from Bernard Brogan and Kevin Bonner, the son of former Donegal star Seamus Bonner, and their fifth of the game came from team captain David Henry, midway through the half.

Donegal remained scoreless until the 27th minute when Brendan Boyle bisected the visitors' posts and with the aid of the elements, the Tir Chonaill men made a real game of it.

Veteran forward Jason Sherlock was lucky to remain on the pitch when the match officials failed to spot him aiming a boot in the direction of Ciaran Bonner.

Points, on the resumption, from Stephen Griffin and Michael Murphy saw Donegal eat into Dublin's lead and they were confidence-boosting scores as both Griffin and Murphy had hit some poor early wides.

The Dubs responded well before Conall Dunne slammed home a 50th minute goal for the home side. Set up by Christy Toye, Dunne produced a smashing finish to give Dublin goalkeeper Stephen Cluxton no chance.

John Joe Doherty's men were playing with renewed intensity now and successive points from Murphy (0-2), Ciaran Bonner, David Walsh and Darragh Gallagher tied up the game at 1-8 to 0-11.

But Dublin rallied in the closing stages and overs from Ger Brennan and the influential McConnell ended the Metropolitans' wait for a league win.

The result moves Gilroy's charges up to sixth in the top flight table, one place above winless Donegal.