Cork are into the final of the GAA All-Ireland Football Senior Championship for the second year in a row after they saw off Dublin at Croke Park this afternoon.

An early goal for the Dubs from Bernard Brogan looked to have proven crucial, as it meant that they led for long stages and looked to have put a stop to Cork’s progress.

Brogan, his brother Alan, Michael Dara Macauley and a strong defensive unit all contributed to what, for the majority of the game, looked like being a win, but Cork came good when it mattered.

Donncha O’Connor, starting his first game since the Munster championship, scored 1-5, including the crucial penalty which brought the Rebels back into the game, and others, such as Nicholas Murphy, Paudie Kissane, Paul Kerrigan and Paddy Kelly stood tall.

Dublin led by four points at half-time, 1-8 to 0-7, and never trailed in the first half, having got the best possible start with a goal inside a minute.

Predictably, it came from Bernard Brogan, who beat Ray Carey to a Niall Corkery delivery before sending a low shot past Alan Quirke and into the corner of the net.

That buoyed that large Dublin following, and though Cork immediately responded with a well-worked Donncha O’Connor point, that was cancelled out by Alan Brogan shortly after.

With Dublin funnelling men back at every opportunity, Cork were having to resort to short kick-outs to their full-back line and as a result their build-up play was slow and ponderous, with their opponents pouncing on any opportunity to pile on pressure.

Cork were shading the aerial battle around the middle of the field, but their shooting was letting them down, and two points was the narrowest that they cut the gap to, as Dublin were relentless in their intensity.

Two Bernard Brogan points, one a free, sandwiched a good Daniel Goulding free to leave it 1-4 to 0-3 by the 16th minute, and his brother Alan extended the lead to five points by 18, allowed to carry the ball unimpeded deep into Cork territory following a quick Michael Dara Macauley free.

The Rebels had found some bit of rhythm by now, but their play was good only up to a point as the wall of Dublin players around the 45m line proved difficult to breach, and though the Leinster side were coughing up a lot of frees, Goulding's usual accuracy had deserted him and chances to eat into the lead were wasted.

Though Cork managed to cut the five-point gap on a couple of occasions, another good Bernard Brogan point made it 1-7 to 0-5 in the 32nd minute, but two quick efforts from Donncha O’Connor and Paul Kerrigan, following a powerful run, left a goal in it as half-time neared.

That goal that would have levelled matters almost came, Kerrigan’s audacious effort from the right coming back off the upright, but instead of going in level, Cork again fell four behind following Bernard Brogan’s fourth point of the half in injury time.

Though Cork captain Graham Canty had been passed fit to start the game, he was unable to re-emerge for the second half, being replaced by dual player Eoin Cadogan, and while their general play was better after the restart, their shooting was still letting them down.

Dublin were not faring much better but still possessed the strong lead and that was again stretched to five after Ross McConnell won a throw-in and sent over a fine effort.

Cork needed something to get a foothold on the game, and to that end Nicholas Murphy was introduced in place of Alan O’Connor at midfield, but still a score would not come, Donncha O’Connor wasting a good chance from a free in the 44th minute.

They could not cope with the physicality of the Dubs, but Goulding finally ended the drought on 47 when he sent over a good point from the left, created by a bustling Patrick Kelly run, but Bernard Brogan soon cancelled that out again.

Time after time Cork were making progress up the field, but the heavy tackling was resulting in frees out for over-carrying, while Dublin were able to break with swiftness when they did get possession to fashion opportunities at the other end.

Not all of them were being converted, however, and Goulding again brought it back to four before Cork were awarded a penalty in the 53rd minute when Colm O’Neill, only just on as a sub, was hauled down in the large rectangle by Ross McConnell.

Greeted with a chorus of boos, Donncha O’Connor sent Stephen Cluxton the wrong way with his low kick and now we had a game on our hands, Dublin’s lead down to just one, 1-10 to 1-9.

Bernard Brogan’s sixth point gave Dublin some breathing space again, and Bryan Cullen followed that up with his first in the 59th minute.

Cork were still there, Colm O’Neill pointing for them, and Kelly made it a one-point game again following a quick free by Goulding, though Dublin felt it was wide.

Conor Counihan’s side just seemed to be unable to get that levelling score, and Dublin sub Conal Keaney made it 1-13 to 1-11 with four and a half minutes left.

A pair of Donncha O’Connor frees finally tied things up with two minutes of normal time left, and he was handed a chance to put his side in the lead for the first time after a heavy-duty tackle by McConnell on Noel O’Leary, for which the Dublin midfielder was sent off.

He nailed it for his fifth point, and in injury time sub Derek Kavanagh put the Rebels two ahead. Dublin would get one last chance, but Bernard Brogan put his intended delivery over the bar, and Cork survived.

CORK: A Quirke; G Canty, M Shields, R Carey; P Kissane, J Miskella, N O’Leary; A O’Connor, A Walsh (0-1); C Sheehan, P O’Neill, P Kelly (0-2); D Goulding (0-4, 0-3f), D O’Connor (1-5, 0-4f), P Kerrigan (0-1).

Subs: E Cadogan for Canty (half-time), N Murphy for A O’Connor (43), C O’Neill (0-1) for Sheehan (52), D Kavanagh (0-1) for Miskella (61), F Goold for O’Leary (70).

DUBLIN: S Cluxton; P McMahon (0-1), R O’Carroll, M Fitzsimons; C O’Sullivan, G Brennan, K Nolan; MD Macauley (0-1), R McConnell (0-1); N Corkery, A Brogan (0-2), B Cullen (0-1); B Brogan (1-7, 0-1f), E O’Gara, D Henry.

Subs: B Cahill for O’Sullivan (33), P Flynn for Henry (46), E Fennell for Corkery (57), C Keaney (0-1f) for O’Gara (63), D Bastick for O’Carroll (68).

Referee: M Deegan (Laois).