Dublin sucker Donegal with late onslaught stealing one-point win

[team1]Dublin[/team1][score1]1-15[/score1][team2]Donegal[/team2][score2]1-14[/score2][/score]

A familiar theme of coming from behind and simply refusing to accept defeat played out again at Croke Park where Dublin suckered Donegal with a late onslaught to steal a narrow Allianz League win.

Trailing by five points after a slow start, it didn't look good for Dublin whose slow start mirrored their early difficulties in Round 3 against Monaghan at the same venue.

They came from 10 points behind on that occasion to secure a draw with David Byrne hitting the equaliser and it was the defender who surprisingly emerged as the match-winner this time with his 72nd minute point ultimately separating the teams.

Dublin only drew level for the first time in the game in the 60th minute through sub Colm Basquel and they didn't take the lead until the 66th minute when Paul Mannion bundled in a goal from close range.

Michael Murphy was named Man of the Match though the Donegal talisman was dismissed in the 76th minute along with his marker, Dublin defender John Small, for their second bookings.

Donegal's Michael Murphy. (©INPHO/Tom O'Hanlon)

Like Monaghan before them, Donegal will be frustrated not to have closed out the win and taken the scalp of the five-in-a-row All-Ireland champions who weren't at their best initially in front of 26,153.

Donegal led by 1-5 to 0-3 after 20 minutes with Hugh McFadden scoring an excellent solo goal in the eighth minute at the Hill 16 End.

Murphy and Jamie Brennan were also on that mark during that bright period with back to back points for Donegal.

Dublin grew into the game as half-time loomed and finished with three points in a row from Sean Bugler, Dean Rock and Ciaran Kilkenny to trail by just 1-6 to 0-7 at the interval.

Donegal restarted with back to back points from Ciaran Thompson and Peadar Mogan though two bursts of three points in a row from Dublin during the second-half eventually drew them back level on the hour.

At that stage it seemed virtually inevitable that resurgent Dublin would find a way to win and they duly did so with Mannion getting a strong hand to a high ball in from Howard and beating Donegal 'keeper Shaun Patton to register Dublin's goal.

Donegal's Patrick McBrearty with Dublin's David Byrne. (©INPHO/Tom O'Hanlon)

Donegal threw everything at it late on and pulled back points through Murphy, McFadden and Patrick McBrearty but Byrne's 72nd minute point was the one that separated the teams in the end.

Dublin, interestingly, handed a recall to 2011 All-Ireland medallist Craig Dias from the Kilmacud Crokes club after several years in the wilderness though he only lasted until half-time and was replaced by Cormac Costello.

Dublin scorers: D Rock (0-4, 3 frees); P Mannion (1-0); B Fenton, S Bugler, C Kilkenny, B Howard (0-2 each); C Costello, C Basquel, D Byrne (0-1 each).

Donegal scorers: M Murphy (0-5, 2 frees, 1 mark); H McFadden (1-1); J Brennan, C Thompson (1 free), P Mogan (0-2 each), M Langan, P McBrearty (0-1 each).

Dublin: E Comerford; E Murchan, D Byrne, M Fitzsimons; C Dias, J Small, C O'Shea; B Fenton, B Howard; N Scully, C Kilkenny, S Bugler; P Mannion, K McManamon, D Rock.

Subs: C Costello for Dias (h/t), C Basquel for McManamon (54), A Byrne for Bugler (68), P Small for Rock (73).

Donegal: S Patton; C Ward, N McGee, EB Gallagher; D O Baoill, R McHugh, O McFadden Ferry; H McFadden, M Langan; P Brennan, C Thompson, C McGonagle; P Mogan, M Murphy, J Brennan.

Subs: N O'Donnell for P Brennan (46), P McBrearty for McGonigle (52), B McCole for Ward (52), E McHugh for J Brennan (62).

Ref: M Deegan (Laois).