All-Ireland SFC Round 3: Dublin 2-26 (2-3-20) Donegal 2-22 (2-4-14) (aet)Dublin, by consensus three years into their obsolescence, reared up on one of the powers that have supplanted them and landed a knock-out blow on Donegal – mirroring in a way the 2014 All-Ireland semi-final when it was Jim McGuinness’s team producing the shock.In these World Cup times, a few people were channelling former England manager Alf Ramsey, who told his team before extra-time in the 1966 final that they had already won the match; now they had to win it again. Dublin effectively had to spring this major surprise twice before 32,220 spectators in Croke Park.It culminated in high excitement for the Hill, as Dublin pushed to extend a three-point lead beyond the reach of a late goal. Eventually, two defenders, David Byrne and Eoin Kennedy combined to isolate Peadar Ó Cofaigh Byrne in front of goal and he fisted the insurance point.Ger Brennan’s team gave their best performance of the season in terms of sustained application and a composure that remained unruffled through various reversals of fortune.The big one came at the end of the 70 minutes when with seconds left and Dublin two up, 2-18 to 2-16, Ross McGarry fouled the ball on the ground. Under the mistaken impression that he was getting the free, the Dublin player didn’t present the ball and was penalised for delay, bringing the award forward and into the two-point range of veteran Donegal delivery specialist Michael Murphy.He duly obliged but became involved in a costly confrontation, which ultimately saw him and team-mate Jason McGee, plus the Dublin pair of Niall Scully and Theo Cancy all sinbinned before the start of extra-time. The Donegal pair’s absence was a hindrance for the team, as it removed big men from the kick-out zone.According to McGuinness afterwards, the uncertainty over whether anyone would be disciplined for involvement in the melee had an effect because they had already decided to withdraw another big centrefielder, Hugh McFadden, before extra-time.Overall, this was a sector where they were suffering anyway, winning less than 50 per cent of their restarts.Counter-intuitively, Dublin, as the team more deflated by having to play an additional 20 minutes, looked to be the team carrying energy and focus into that extra phase.Dublin’s Seán Bugler and Seán Guiden celebrate after the game. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/Inpho Seán Guiden, who has impressed off the bench, shot 0-4, including a two-pointer, in the opening period. Colm Basquel, who confirmed the strong impression made in Cavan a week previously, swung back into his All Star form but had a wide adjudged by Hawk-Eye.Charlie McMorrow scythed through the defence and saw his shot clip the upright and come out again. Five up, they then had the frustration of conceding a breach penalty and even in Murphy’s absence, goalkeeper Gavin Mulreany opted for and converted a two-pointer.Ryan McHugh, who together with Oisín Gallen had been initially benched, got two quick points and it was all back in the melting pot. This was Dublin’s most impressive phase. Under scoreboard pressure and with captain and leading forward Con O’Callaghan departed with his latest hamstring injury, which cast a certain anxiety on the post-match mood.John Small, who O’Callaghan had set up for the goal that looked to have accomplished then job in 70 minutes, was also injured in the act of scoring. So, it will be a fraught week in the recovery suite for Brennan, as they size up an as yet unspecified All-Ireland quarter-final – with details to come on Monday morning.From the start, Dublin looked well up for the challenge. O’Callaghan kicked a two-pointer in the second minute for a good start. The problem was that it went unsupplemented for quarter of an hour, by which stage Donegal had scored 0-4. Dublin were benefiting from a strong breeze but not exploiting it particularly well apart from the opening score.In these frantic early exchanges, there was a constant sequence of dispossessions and turnovers. A couple from Basquel tightened things up but the first serious incision came when Max Campbell placed Shea Malone in the 21st minute and the young corner forward, who as an eye for goal, executed his speciality.It was further evidence of Dublin’s intent that they chased again when facing their biggest deficit, five points, 0-4 to 1-6. Their captain contrived the big impact, when Mulreany sent a kick-out straight to Small who supplied O’Callaghan and his precise finish rolled into the net.For the second day, an attempt to run down the clock ended in calamity. Malone had already turned over late possession but in the final minute Basquel got mugged for the ball and a lightning counter put in Péadar Mogan for a goal to give Donegal the half-time lead, 2-7 to 1-8.The third quarter was one when Dublin kept afloat, drawing level when O’Callaghan kicked a 45 into the wind. But for a team that had been dominating possession, they laboured to set up chances and take them. Some soul-destroying misses ensued – Donegal had just half of the winners’ total of wides.Tempers flare between Dublin's Ciarán Kilkenny and Michael Murphy of Donegal at the end of normal time at Croke Park. Photograph: Laszlo Geczo/Inpho Were Dublin suffering from vertigo? The answer came with the Small goal – O’Callaghan returning the assist favour – which put them two ahead, supplemented by Lee Gannon’s point to put them three ahead with little more than a minute to go. Michael Langan, who had been Donegal’s biggest threat, blazed a ball just over the bar to leave the fateful two points in it.For a team that had conceded four goals to Louth, Dublin’s defence was much improved. Theo Clancy had a fine match and more importantly, as a unit, they were unflustered and dependable. McGarry, covering back in late extra-time, got a hand to a ball that was flying around the square and slapped it into safe keeping.Ciarán Kilkenny was indefatigable covering around the middle third. One rescue in extra-time saw him somehow retaining control of the ball while under pressure in the Canal End/Cusack corner and getting the ball back into his team’s defensive traffic.Brennan was happy with the contrasting extra-time experience, having lost the Leinster final in such circumstances.“This time round we obviously learned from that experience. We dominated that first 10-minute period, and the mind is a wonderful thing, but when it’s going against you, you can kind of retreat, and you look more tired than you actually are.“When you’re on the other side of the scoreline going against you, or momentum going against you, it’s just about being aware of that, and understanding that, and trying to get hands back on ball, and put a stamp on the game.”DUBLIN: E Comerford; D Byrne, N Doran, S MacMahon; T Clancy, C McMorrow, L Gannon (0-0-1); B Howard (0-0-1), P Ó Cofaigh Byrne (0-0-1); P Small (1-0-2), N Scully, C Kilkenny (0-0-1); C Basquel (0-1-5, 1f), C O’Callaghan (capt) (1-1-3, one 45), C Costello (0-0-2, 1f). Subs: E Kennedy for Doran (inj 29 mins); R McGarry (0-0-2) for Costello (54); S Guiden (0-1-2) for P Small (63); S Bugler for Gannon (75); T Deering for O’Callaghan (78); J Bannon for MacMahon (85).DONEGAL: G Mulreany (0-1-0, tpf); EB Gallagher (0-0-1), B McCole, P Mogan (1-0-1); F Roarty (0-0-1), C McGonagle, C Moore; J McGee (0-1-1), H McFadden; S O’Donnell (0-1-0), M Langan (0-0-4), M Campbell; C O’Donnell (0-0-1), M Murphy (0-1-2, tpf), S Malone (1-0-0).Subs: R McHugh (0-0-3) for Campbell, O Gallen for Malone (both h-t); C Thompson for C O’Donnell (63 mins); S Martin for McFadden (65); M Campbell for Roarty, D Ó Baoill for Martin (both 70); F Roarty for Moore, C O’Donnell for S O’Donnell (both 80); C Thompson for O Gallen (87).Attendance: 32,220. Referee: M McNally (Monaghan).