Byrne the hero of Dublin's new order

About 15 minutes before the throw-in at Parnell Park yesterday, a call over the public address system asked for Jimmy Keaveney to report to the county board's office. "Things can't be that bad," joked one Dublin supporter, "that he's being brought back."

The future, however, seems to be much brighter than all that and, joking aside, the reply was delivered by the modern-day team in a match between two rivals that evoked memories of times past - when the said Mr Keaveney was in vogue - with the outcome in doubt right to the end.

This was a good win by an evolving Dublin team, and one that would not have been achieved a month ago. In the two games since their trouncing by Tyrone - "That was a real wake-up call," said manager Tom Carr - Dublin have matured beyond belief. There is a new steel in defence, allied with a greater commitment and awareness of team responsibilities. Still, yesterday's two-point winning margin also relied on two superb, first-half penalty saves from goalkeeper David Byrne, and the intervention of the woodwork to save an Eamonn Fitzmaurice shot in the dying moments.

Dublin probably deserved any luck that was going in a game played in a swirling wind which made close passing and interchanging moves essential, while darkening clouds for much of the secondhalf actually made it difficult even to see the ball.

In such circumstances, it is to the teams' credit that they served up the sort of game that would have done justice to bygone days, and Paul Curran's dismissal (for a second yellow card) in the final minute shouldn't be interpreted as any blight on the contest. Kerry, who in manager Paidi O Se's words were "on a hiding to nothing" after registering two big wins in their opening league games, had plenty of chances, but poor finishing, combined with Byrne's heroics, meant that once they relinquished the lead in the 22nd minute, to Colin Moran's goal, they never got their noses back in front.

Indeed, for a November afternoon that more than hinted at the arrival of winter, the football was at times fascinating. One period in the first-half was especially breath-taking. Just after John Crowley's punched effort rebounded off the Dublin crossbar, Shane Ryan was penalised for scooping the ball off the ground in the small square. Byrne saved Mike Francis Russell's resultant penalty and the play swept straight upfield where Declan Darcy's shot struck the angle of crossbar and upright and, in an instance, came back down the pitch and the movement only finished when Donal Daly fisted over the first of his three points.

Moran's goal showed a striker's intuition: after good build-up work by Jim Gavin and Enda Sheehy, the centre-half forward fired through a crowded goalmouth to nudge the ball sufficiently over the line for the umpire to instantly reach for the green flag. Kerry's second penalty came in the 33rd minute when Crowley was dragged to his knees in the square, but, this time, Declan O'Keeffe made the long trek from his own goal to take the kick. Unlike Russell, who had opted to place his spotkick, O'Keeffe blasted his shot goalwards: but it had the same result as Byrne stood his ground and the rebound was cleared.

It meant Dublin had a 1-3 to 0-5 interval lead, and the momentum was with them.

A fisted point from Daly seven minutes after the restart enabled Kerry to briefly draw level, but Moran, who was injured and substituted two minutes later, kicked Dublin into the lead again almost immediately. Paul Croft then increased the margin to two points. Kerry were finding it increasingly difficult to infiltrate the Dublin defence in which Paddy Christie had a superb game at full-back. But, in the 48th minute, Daly had a giltedged chance to fire Kerry ahead only to shoot too high and record a point rather than a goal - and that summed up Kerry's inability to grasp the game by the neck.

Although the wind was a factor in both sides kicking five wides in the second half, a Darcy point - after a storming run in the build-up from Ciaran Whelan, when four Kerrymen trailed in his wake - and a Gavin free gave Dublin a three-point cushion. They needed it.

Liam Hassett, who had been brought outfield in an effort to win precious possession, grabbed a point and, although Darcy responded with a free, the game was on a knife-edge heading into the final couple of minutes.

That's when Kerry threw caution to the wind and Fitzmaurice was almost rewarded for venturing forth from defensive duties, but his shot rebounded off the upright, and then Daly's shot veered wide.

When Russell finished the game's scoring with a point, it was a case of too little, too late, and Dublin's celebrations at the final whistle showed just what the win meant not just to the players, but to the supporters who invaded the pitch. Just like the old days.

DUBLIN: D Byrne; M Cahill, P Christie, D Conlon; P Curran, P Andrews, S Ryan; C Whelan, J McGee; P Croft (0-1), C Moran (1-1), E Sheehy; J Gavin (0-3, two frees), D Darcy (0-3, one free), M O'Keeffe. Subs: E Horgan for Moran (46 mins), D Moore for O'Keeffe (61 mins).

KERRY: D O'Keeffe; M McCarthy, T O'Sullivan, M Hassett; T O Se, E Fitzmaurice, E Galvin; D Daly (0-3), N Kennelly (0-1); J McGlynn (0-1), D O'Dwyer, A MacGearailt; MF Russell (0-2, one free), L Hassett (0-1), J Crowley (0-1). Subs: S O'Sullivan for M Hassett (31 mins), S O'Sullivan for O'Dwyer (46 mins), K Dillon for McCarthy (70 mins).

Referee: P McEneaney (Monaghan).