Cork Keep League Title

This is why they're champions. Cork, in retaining their Allianz Football League Division 1 crown, gave yet another exemplary demonstration of their ability to win in the face of adversity and their unwillingness cede an inch of ground ahead of this summer's GAA All-Ireland Championship.

And once again it was Dublin who were left vanquished and distraught after the Rebels refused to view an eight-point second half deficit as an impediment to their relentless progress. It was last year's All-Ireland semi-final again - only this time it was even more extraordinary.

It was yet another traumatic experience for Pat Gilroy's Dublin side at Croke Park. Last August, with a place in the All-Ireland final on the line, their discipline let  them down when they were in a winning position. On this occasion, once again they buckled badly with the finish line in sight, failing to score after Kevin McManamon's 56th minute point had given them a 2-14 to 0-15 lead.

Doubt and fear appeared to creep into Dublin's play in the final 15 minutes. Pat Burke, Barry Cahill and free-taker Mossy Quinn betrayed their nerves with a string of cheap wides; Cork, on the other hand, grew in confidence and stature as the pressure cranked up and hit the last six points of the game, including Ciaran Sheehan's winner in the 67th minute, to ease purposefully over the line with a late dash.

On this evidence, Cork have learned how to win and forgotten how to lose. Trailing by 1-10 to 0-10 after a first half that was played at break-neck speed and peppered with some wonderful scores, they conceded 1-2 within five minutes of the restart and were on the verge of a humiliating defeat.

They were struggling to deal with Dublin's swarmed defence, crashing incessantly against a wall of blue-clad defenders, forcing them to shoot - often errantly - from distance. They had already lost John Miskella, Paul Kerrigan and Fintan Goold to injury and there appeared to be no way back for the champions.

But Cork's big-game players rolled up their sleeves and went about the business of reeling Dublin in. Patrick Kelly cajoled his team-mates from centre forward and Pearse O'Neill, Sheehan and Donncha O'Connor all responded. Cork were helped when Dublin's talisman, Bernard Brogan, was forced off with a hamstring injury in the 51st minute. They appeared to lose their way without him.

Noel O'Leary drilled over a long-range point from play in the 58th minute and Cork never looked back. Donncha O'Connor, quiet to this point, sent over a pair from play and Kelly pitched in with his third of the afternoon.

Cork's scores were interspersed with Dublin wides, while Fiachra Lynch levelled the game in the 63rd minute, ensuring nine Cork men - including all six forwards - got their names on the scoresheet. Rebels boss Conor Counihan brought on Nicholas Murphy, a member of the team that beat the Dubs in the 1999 League final, to add that extra bit of experience, before Sheehan nailed the winner with his fourth score of the day in the 67th minute.

Quinn had a chance to bring the game to extra-time in the 70th minute, but his effort summed up Dublin's collapse, trailing wide - and with it Cork had claimed League honours for the third year in a row. More importantly, perhaps, they had reasserted their credentials as the top team in the country.

Daniel Goulding opened Cork's account in the first minute. However, it was Dublin appeared to settle quicker, and when McManamon sent over the first of three points from play in the first half, they were level.

Greater reward would come in the seventh minute when Footballer of the Year Brogan broke free of Michael Shields and played in his partner in the inside forward line, Quinn, who smuggled the ball under the body of the Cork goalkeeper, Ken O'Halloran. Quinn was in again two minutes later, but on this occasion the Bishopstown stopper won the battle of wits and blocked the shot superbly with his body.

A shootout between the two sets of forward lines ensued. Brogan and Diarmuid Connolly kicked sublime points from play for the Dubs, before Cork hit a hit hot streak, stringing four points in a row together. Goulding hit two, the second a brilliant effort, beating his marker to the ball and slinging over a shot on the turn. Jamie O'Sullivan and Fintan Goold both got in on the act and the Rebels were level, 1-4 to 0-7 in the 19th minute.

It would be Fintan Goold's last significant act before he was taken off after a collision with Dublin centre back Ger Brennan. And Cork's troubles didn't end there as Miskella (back) and Kerrigan (hamstring) would also fail to finish the half, both limping off with injuries.

Dublin finished the half by kicking four points without reply, McManamon enhancing his growing reputation with two more from play, before Quinn and Barry Cahill left Gilroy's side three ahead at the break, 1-10 to 0-10.

The momentum stayed with Dublin on the resumption of play, wing-back Kevin Nolan raiding down the left flank before unleashing a guided missile over the bar. A minute later, Cork were rocked on their heels. A quick sideline ball was played into Brogan, who beat an overcommitted Shields and smashed the ball past O'Halloran. Connolly immediately tacked on a point and Cork were eight points down.

But Cork have been in that position before and they dug deep into their well of experience and desire to fashion a win that looked beyond even them.