Allianz Football League Division One

KILDARE 1-12 DUBLIN 0-12

By Paul Keane at St Conleth's Park, Newbridge

Jimmy Hyland's 1-5 haul and crucial 49th minute goal proved decisive as Kildare scored a hugely significant win in the Allianz Football League Division 1 relegation battle.

The battle of the bottom two - a repeat of last August's Leinster final - was largely decided by Hyland's major which left six points between the teams, a vital cushion that saw Kildare to a landmark win over their neighbours.

With three games still to go, and three points now on the board, Glenn Ryan's side can have real hopes of holding onto their top flight status but Dublin are officially in serious trouble.

Their fourth straight defeat means they have it all to do to avoid a return to Division 2 with three games left against northern opposition - Tyrone, Donegal and Monaghan - and two of those matches in Ulster.

The provincial champions, trailing by four points, did appear to be coming back into it in the third quarter and got the margin back to three points following back to back Dean Rock points when Hyland palmed in the crucial goal from close range.

Sean Bugler did impress for Dublin with four points from play but it told a tale of the 2021 joint league champions' difficulties that they trailed for virtually the duration.

Dublin created more of the openings initially but on a slippery sod with a crosswind blowing towards the main stand at St Conleth's Park, they found it difficult to turn their greater possession into points.

Ciaran Kilkenny, Tom Lahiff and Bugler were prominent in Dublin's attack and the trio accounted for all of the team's scores as the sides found themselves locked on 0-4 apiece approaching the half hour mark.

Dublin should have moved ahead in that period but Kildare full-back Shea Ryan cleared off the line after Kilkenny and Dean Rock had combined for a 13th minute goal opportunity. On another occasion, Bugler ran through on goals but frustratingly fisted wide.

Those misses and a series of turnovers that Kildare were able to pull off in Dublin's attack sent the sellout home crowd wild and as the noise increased in the stand and on the terraces, the home team appeared to feed off the excitement.

Hosts Kildare pulled decisively clear in the lead up to half-time with four points in a row to change the dynamic of the game entirely.

Daniel Flynn kicked the first of those points in the 28th minute. It was a terrific score that arose from a couple of traded passes between Flynn and Paul Cribbin. The move appeared to be in danger of petering out when Flynn suddenly burst infield from the left sideline and curled over a beauty.

A minute later, Kevin Flynn split the posts from distance and from the resulting kick-out Kildare won possession and eventually worked the ball to Daniel Flynn to fist over his third of the afternoon.

Dublin looked in real bother at the back and Hyland's stoppage time score, to leave Kildare 0-8 to 0-4 at half-time, summed up just how the game had turned in the Lilywhites' favour and how frustrated the Leinster champions had become.

Darragh Ryan sent the initial ball in for that Hyland point and full-forward Flynn was strong and direct, palming down the delivery ahead of a Dublin back to Hyland who clipped over at his ease. Moments later, Dublin duo Michael Fitzsimons and Brian Howard were locked in discussions about the concession of yet another avoidable score.

Dublin came into the game in the third quarter with points from Bugler and Rock helping them to outscore Kildare by 0-3 to 0-2 in the first 10 minutes or so after the restart.

But then Hyland's goal arrived, the 2018 U-20 Footballer of the Year showing all his attacking instincts to follow up and convert to the net after Jack Sargent's shot was saved onto the crossbar following an early defence splitting handpass by Daniel Flynn.

Dublin could perhaps argue that if they didn't have bad luck in this game they'd have had no luck at all. Rock and Howard somehow failed to convert a 52nd minute goal chance with the net seemingly at their mercy and late on substitute Aaron Byrne had an attempt at goal blocked.

Scorers for Kildare: Jimmy Hyland 1-5 (0-2f, 0-2 m), Daniel Flynn 0-3, Paddy Woodgate 0-1 (0-1f), Ben McCormack 0-1, Kevin Flynn 0-1, Aaron O'Neill 0-1 (0-1f)

Scorers for Dublin: Sean Bugler 0-4, Dean Rock 0-4 (0-4f), Ciaran Kilkenny 0-2, Tom Lahiff 0-1, Lee Gannon 0-1.

Kildare: Aaron O'Neill; Mick O'Grady, Shea Ryan, Ryan Houlihan; Tony Archbold, James Murray, Darragh Ryan; Aaron Masterson, Kevin Flynn; Con Kavanagh, Ben McCormack, Paul Cribbin; Paddy Woodgate, Daniel Flynn, Jimmy Hyland.

Subs: Jack Sargent for Kavanagh 31, Kevin O'Callaghan for McCormack 35+6 - h/t blood, Brian McLoughlin for Woodgate 54, Kevin Feely for Masterson 57, O'Callaghan for Sargent 63, David Hyland for Darragh Ryan 68.

Dublin: Evan Comerford; Michael Fitzsimons, David Byrne, Sean McMahon; Jonny Cooper, John Small, Lee Gannon; Tom Lahiff, Brian Fenton; Niall Scully, Sean Bugler, Brian Howard; Ross McGarry, Ciaran Kilkenny, Dean Rock.

Subs: Robert McDaid for Lahiff 23-32 blood, Aaron Byrne for McGarry 48, McDaid for Cooper 55, Cillian O'Shea for Small 63 - 64 blood, Lorcan O'Dell for Scully 68, Alex Wright for Howard 70.

Referee: Sean Hurson (Tyrone).