National Hurling League Division Two/ Dublin 1-15 Derry 0-13: This game was delicately balanced in the first half when slack Derry defending allowed Dublin's Peadar Carton in for the only goal of the game 10 minutes before the interval.

The home side trailed by six points at the break but Derry manger Seán McCloskey told his players they were only "lacking self belief".

McCloskey's words helped spark a third-quarter resurgence that brought Derry right back into the game at 1-11 to 0-12 by the 58th minute. However, with the game in the balance, Derry wasted three or four scoring chances from frees and they duly paid the penalty.

Earlier, the heavy pitch ensured both sides struggled to find their rhythm while both attacks lacked a consistent scorer from open play. Consequently scoring duties fell, in large measure, to the respective free-takers. Dublin's David Curtin and Derry's Gregory Biggs both scored eight points from frees.

Defensively Dublin dominated in the first half through Phillip Brennan, Kevin Ryan and Greg Bennett while Anton Rafferty, Liam Hinphey and Michael Conway caught the eye in the Derry defence.

The free-takers controlled the game in the first quarter, two frees from Biggs responded to by Curtin by the mid-point of the half. With 10 minutes of the half remaining Dublin enjoyed a slender 0-5 to 0-3 lead but then came the game's only goal.

Corner forward Kevin Flynn won possession in the right corner and found the unmarked Carton on the 13-metre line who fired to the roof of the net.

Dublin led 1-8 to 0-5 at the interval and McCloskey moved Liam Hinphey to centre back, with Conway dropping back to the edge of the square. That move seemed to work and an early point from Ruairi Con very, followed by two converted frees, cut the deficit to three points.

With 12 minutes remaining Biggs scored his eighth point to narrow the gap to two but Dublin finished the stronger. Curtin picked off two more points and Stephen McDonnell and substitute Alan McCrabbe added two more to ensure a victory Dublin manager Tommy Naughton admitted was "in serious doubt until the closing minutes".

DERRY: K Stevenson; A Rafferty, L Hinphey, G Brunton; P Sweeney, M Conway, P O'Kane; E Farren, M Craig; R Convery (0-2), G Biggs (0-8, 8 frees), K Hinphey; S McBride, P Hearty (0-2), C Quinn (0-1). Subs: F McGuigan for McBride (53 mins), S McCullagh for Brunton (66 mins).

DUBLIN: G Maguire; P Brennan, K Ryan T Brady; G Bennett (0-1), R Fallon, A de Paor; D Sweeney (0-1), P O'Driscoll; S McDonnell (0-1), D Russell (0-1), T Moore; K Flynn (0-2), D Curtin (0-8, 8 frees), P Carton (1-0). Subs: L Ryan for Russell (50 mins), M Carton (for Fallon 53 mins) A McCrabbe (0-1) for P Carton (55 mins).

Referee: James McCarthy (Westmeath).