Allianz Football League: Monaghan, Tyrone and Donegal snatch wins to stay in Division One as Dubs and Kildare go down

Jack McCarron's penalty helped Monaghan take a big lead over the Dubs before Dessie Farrell's side fought back to level late in the game

Monaghan, Tyrone and Donegal snatched dramatic one-point wins to stay in Division One of the Football League as Dublin and Kildare were relegated.

Jack McCarron's last-gasp point secured Monaghan a 3-13 to 1-18 win after the Dubs had fought back to level.

A late Peter Harte point earned Tyrone a 1-15 to 2-11 win in Kerry as the Red Hands survived by beating a Kingdom side already assured of a final spot.

Paddy McBrearty's injury-time point saw Donegal beat Armagh 1-14 to 1-13.

Armagh, already safe in Division One, started without Rian O'Neill and Rory Grugan but both were introduced in the second half as the Orchard County fought back from 1-10 to 1-5 down at half-time to draw level late on before McBrearty's point secured Donegal's victory.

A melee broke out following the final whistle in Letterkenny with players from both sides and other personnel appearing to get involved and it took some time before order was eventually restored.

After the GAA imposed penalties on Tyrone and Armagh following the brawl at their Division One match in early February, it will not be a surprise to see the Central Competitions Control Committee opting to study the post-match footage and both counties will be hoping that suspensions are not handed out which could rule players out of their Ulster Championship meeting in four weeks.

With Armagh losing, Mayo's 2-20 to 0-18 win over Kildare in Carrick-on-Shannon secured James Horan's side a place in the Division One decider against Kerry and relegated the Lilywhites in the process.

Sean Jones scored Monaghan's first goal against Dublin

Clones deserves top billing

After such a dramatic day, it's hard to know whether to start but Clones surely deserves top billing after Monaghan's dramatic victory as McCarron finished with 2-6 for the Farney men.

After the full-time whistle, Monaghan fans stormed on to the field to applaud the players, and in particular McCarron, who capped a stunning individual performance with a last-gasp free to send Dublin down to Division Two.

It was an utterly relentless game, and with the stakes so high and the sun splitting the Clones sky, it was one that was played with the intensity of a championship blockbuster from the first whistle.

With Monaghan and Dublin occupying the two relegation spots heading into Sunday, it was essentially a straight shootout to retain top-flight status - and it did not disappoint on a riveting afternoon of Division One drama.

Monaghan fans would have been uneasy in the moments immediately prior to throw-in with Conor McManus, Kieran Duffy, Killian Lavelle, Michael Bannigan and Andrew Woods all dropping out of the line-up.

One of those to come in, however, was Sean Jones and he swung the game in Monaghan's favour when he buried a brilliant low shot past Dublin keeper Michael Shiel to put the Farney men 1-3 to 0-4 up.

Dubs peg back six-point deficit to level

Jones' goal came in the ninth minute and during a spell in which Monaghan struck an unanswered 1-4 to lead by four, and while Cormac Costello missed a goal chance just before half-time, the Dubs clawed their way back to trail by just two at the break.

With Dublin's full-back line again looking shaky, Monaghan went straight for the jugular upon the resumption, the towering Gary Mohan and Kieran Hughes knocking over scores before Mohan won a penalty when he was taken out by Shiel.

McCarron coolly slotted home but produced an even better moment for his second goal, lobbing Shiel to put Monaghan 3-10 to 0-13 up just moments after Ryan Wylie's dismissal for two yellow cards.

Dublin's James McCarthy was also sent off, but despite their numerical disadvantage, Dessie Farrell's side managed to reduce the deficit to three before being awarded a penalty when Eoin Murchan was fouled.

Dean Rock, whose free-taking had kept Dublin in the game, fired past Rory Beggan to level the game but there was to be last twist as McCarron, with the last kick of the game, nailed a 43-metre free between the posts to ensure Monaghan's safety and hand Dublin the ignominy of Division Two football for 2023.

Tyrone produced their best display of the league to beat Kerry in Killarney

Red Hands beat Kerry again to survive

After their epic victory over the Kingdom in last year's All-Ireland semi-final, the sight of the Kerry jersey provoked Tyrone to produce their best display of the league as they saw off David Clifford and Co to retain their Division One status.

Darren McCurry's individual brilliance was crucial to Tyrone's victory as he finished with a 1-7 tally.

McCurry hit Tyrone's three opening scores as they led 0-2 to 0-0 and 0-3 to 0-2 before a Tony Brosnan goal, set up by Clifford's sensational pass to Joe O'Connor, edged Kerry into the lead.

However, the Red Hands responded with five unanswered points as Darragh Canavan's running, in particular, began to cause problems for the Kerry defence.

By the half hour mark, Tyrone led 0-9 to 1-3 before scores from Clifford and Brosnan left the minimum between the sides at the break.

The pace only increased in the second period as Brosnan's successful penalty - after a foul on Stephen O'Brien - put Kerry 2-7 to 0-11 ahead only for the Red Hands to respond in kind immediately as McCurry found the net following a brilliant long pass from Canavan.

Points from Paul Geaney and Clifford saw Kerry regaining lead by the hour mark but the Red Hands hit four of the final six scores to edge the verdict, with Harte hitting what proved to be the winner, and skipper Padraig Hampsey making a late block to keep the northerners ahead.

Donegal edge out Armagh as tempers fray

In the dress-rehearsal for the upcoming Ulster Championship encounter, Donegal needed an injury-time Paddy McBrearty score to repel Armagh's comeback after the second-half introduction of Rian O'Neill had got the visitors back into the contest.

In truth, Armagh probably should have stolen victory in the closing stages with O'Neill, his fellow substitute Rory Grugan and Ben Crealey all missing chances to put the visitors ahead before McBrearty's winner.

The post-match melee broke out immediately following the final whistle and the GAA will await receipt of the referee's report before deciding whether any disciplinary moves are necessary.

Kieran McGeeney's decision not to start his star forward O'Neill, as four late changes were made, suggested the manager wasn't overly fussed about his side being involved in a Division One final tussle with Kerry so close to the championship.

Jason McGee's 11th-minute goal extended Donegal's lead to 1-4 to 0-2 and the home side's advantage was six when McBrearty pointed a free at the half-hour mark.

However, Armagh were suddenly within a kick of the ball of the home side when keeper Shaun Patton's decision to punch a high ball from Crealey instead of catching it was eventually punished by Aidan Nugent palming to the net from close range despite Donegal claims that it had been a square ball.

Tempers flared after the final whistle in Letterkenny and the GAA's disciplinary authorities may opt to take a look at the footage

Trailing 1-10 to 1-5 at half-time, Armagh's cavalry in the shapes of O'Neill and Grugan arrived and while Donegal were able to keep the visitors at bay in the third quarter, Murphy's failure to convert a penalty in the 50th minute as he fired wide seemed to rally the visitors.

Three quick Armagh points followed, with Nugent bringing up his tally to 1-6 with two of them, as Donegal's lead was trimmed to one.

Armagh were now largely bossing possession and while they weren't making it count on the scoreboard, O'Neill's superb 45 levelled the contest as the game entered injury-time.

Crealey should have then put Armagh ahead but was off target and that allowed McBrearty to clinch victory in the final play before tempers frayed.

With Kildare losing in Mayo and Monaghan beating Dublin, defeat would not have relegated Declan O'Bonner's side.

ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE RESULTS

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