Kevin McManamon was on the scoresheet for Dublin. (File pic)

Dublin 0-11
Kerry 1-14

Kerry took revenge over the Dubs while Armagh earned a draw against Cork as the Allianz Football League got underway over the weekend.

The Kingdom recorded a first competitive win over Dublin in two-and-a-half years at Croke Park, with Dublin only mounting a significant challenge in the second quarter of the match when they led by 0-7 to 0-5.

Kerry had gotten into their stride with familiar comfort in the early stages, opening up a three-point lead, with two Bryan Sheehan efforts and a point from James O’Donoghue.

But the Kingdom squandered a succession of opportunities with some wayward shooting, hitting a dozen wides in the first half alone.

Quinn claimed his second free, and a McManamon score from wide on the left lifted the Dublin spirits as the sides went level in the 23rd minute.

The second half saw Darran O’Sullivan’s goal in the 55th minute opening up a 1-11 to 0-9 gap, and although Dublin managed a couple of late attacks, the match was over as Barry John Keane finished the match well to stretch the lead to six.

Armagh 0-10
Cork 1-07

Meanwhile, at the Morgan Athletic Grounds on Sunday, Armagh fought back to earn a draw against a 14-man Cork side, with the score ending Armagh 0-10 to Cork 1-07.

The Rebel county looked set for an opening day win when they led by five points at the interval, but the loss of Paul Kerrigan after a scuffle proved costly, and they were grateful to depart the Armagh City venue with a point.

Much of Cork’s advantage owed a lot to a blunder from Armagh’s John Kingham, who had allowed Kerrigan’s free slip through his grasp for a goal after just 21 minutes, but in the second half the home side staged a spirited revival.

Solid defending from Andy Mallon and Brendan Donaghy also frustrated the Rebel attack, but Armagh were struggling to find any penetration and their efforts to pick out Malachy Mackin failed to produce any tangible results.

Conor O’Driscoll, Alan O’Connor and Donncha O’Connor combined well for Mark Collins to fire over an excellent point, and Cork led by 1-2 to no score.

The Orchard men finally opened their account in the 26th minute from a Paul Carvill free.

At the halfway stage, the Rebels led by 1-3 to 0-1, but Malachy Mackin began to run at Cork’s defence, and won the frees which Eugene McVerry converted to narrow the gap to two points.

By the 50th minute, the gap had been trimmed back to a single point, but an equalising point from Brian Mallon with three minutes to play to left the final score Armagh 0-10 Cork 1-07.