Donegal 1-10
Dublin 0-13

All-Ireland champions Donegal have been relegated to Division 2 after Paul Mannion's late point earned Dublin a share of the spoils at Ballybofey.

An eerie silence greeted replacement referee Michael Duffy's final whistle as wins elsewhere for Kerry and Mayo condemned Jim McGuinness' men to relegation. They had led from the 10th minute when Colm McFadden scored the only goal, but were unable to pull away from the visitors, who were assured of a semi-final place beforehand, and were eventually reeled in.

After a five-minute delay to the throw-in, Mark McHugh fired the home side in front inside 20 seconds. The impressive Mannion levelled from a free he had won himself before McFadden made it 1-1 to 0-1 after Paddy McBrearty's run had opened up the Dublin defence.

Paddy Andrews replied with a point for the Leinster champions before a fisted point from McBrearty and frees from McFadden and Michael Murphy pushed Donegal into a 1-4 to 0-3 lead after 19 minutes.

McFadden slotted another free, but two more Andrews points and another from Cian O'Sullivan had the margin down to two, 1-5 to 0-6. But the All-Ireland champions restored their three-point advantage just before half-time when Murphy set up Ryan Bradley for their sixth point.

Donegal took the field for the second half without the injured McFadden, who was replaced by U21 Padraig McNeilis. The big talking point, however, was an injury to referee Padraig Hughes, who was stretchered off after Dublin's Philly McMahon had accidentally collided with him. After a four-minute stoppage, fourth official Michael Duffy took over the whistle and he would later irk the Donegal faithful by turning down Rory Kavanagh's appeal for a penalty.

Diarmuid Connolly registered the first score of the second half from a free, but points at the other end from Murphy and McBrearty kept Donegal in control. Two Mannion frees had left two in it again before goal chances went abegging at either end.

First McBrearty fired straight at Stephen Cluxton, and moments later, Eamon Doherty denied Bryan Cullen with a terrific block at the expense of a '45, which the Dublin 'keeper converted to leave the minimum between the sides, 1-9 to 0-10, with five minutes remaining.

A Murphy free eased Donegal nerves, but the hosts then had goalkeeper Paul Durcan to thank for not going behind when he saved brilliantly from Jason Whelan. Jim Gavin's men weren't to be denied, though, as Jack McCaffrey brought it back to a one-point game before Mannion's left-footed effort levelled it up in stoppage-time.

Donegal - P Durkan; E Doherty, E McGee, F McGlynn; L Keaney, L McLoone, A Thompson; R Kavanagh, R Bradley (0-1); M McHugh (0-1), R Wherity, M McElhinney; P McBrearty (0-3, 2f), M Murphy (0-3f), C McFadden (1-2, 2f). Subs: O MacNiallais for McFadden, M O'Reilly for McElhinney, D McLaughlin for MacNiallais.

Dublin - S Cluxton (0-1, '45); K O'Brien, P McMahon, D Daly; J McCaffrey (0-1), G Brennan, J Cooper; M D Macauley, C O'Sullivan (0-1); P Flynn, T Brady, D Connolly (0-1); K McManamon, P Andrews (0-3), P Mannion (0-6, 5f). Subs: B Cullen for Flynn, J Whelan for Brady, D Bastick for Macauley, D Rock for Connolly, M Fitzsimons for Brennan.

Referee - P Hughes. Tweet

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