Dublin's unbeaten run stretches to 34 games and now equals the 84-year old record set by the Kingdom in the early 1930s, but the League and All-Ireland champions were made to work very hard and very late for their hard-earned draw in Tralee.

All the way to Paul Mannion's 74th-minute point that gave Dublin a share of the points and put them one game away from taking the record all for themselves.

Whatever about unbeaten records being a motivation in a 12,000 capacity Austin Stack Park, there was certainly no lack of edge to this cracking contest, which may have been light on velvet gloves but came packed with an iron fist.

Dublin have hardly been pressed as hard in that now 34-game unbeaten run that stretches back 24 months but once more they showed just how implacable they can be and just how hard they are to beat.

Kerry will rue some sloppy turnovers and rushed scoring attempts but no one in the Kingdom can fault their guts or endeavour over the course of 74 minutes that neared Championship fever at times.

The first half was a scrappy affair, with occasional bouts of football punctuated by skirmishes and cynicism that saw Sean Hurson issue six yellow cards in the half.

Paul Murphy flashed an early goal chance wide for Kerry but points from Peter Crowley, Paul Geaney (two) saw Kerry lead 0-3 to 0-2 after 25 minutes, before David Moran had his goal-bound effort deflected out for a '45', which Kealy converted.

Three Dean Rock frees followed in quick succession to hand Dublin the lead for the first time, 0-5 to 0-4, by the 34th minute, before Stephen Cluxton had to pushed Geaney's shot over the bar in the 36th minute to prevent a Kerry goal and leave it 0-5 apiece at the break.

Kerry scored the first four points of the second half through Geaney (two), Moran and Kevin McCarthy – as Kerry led 0-9 to 0-5 after 50 minutes, but Dublin hit their straps for the next ten minute, reeling off six unanswered points to lead by two on the hour mark.

Two Geaney frees made it 0-11 apiece, and when Barry John Keane and then Donnchadh Walsh made it 0-13 to 0-11 after 70 minutes Dublin's streak looked seriously under threat. But Dublin rarely do panic and two minutes into the additional four Rock's free halved the deficit before the ball was worked to Mannion in the 74th and final minute and he coolly slotted the equaliser.

Dublin finished the final seconds with 14 men after Ciaran Kilkenny was booked a second time, and Dublin will look to take the record from Kerry next weekend against Roscommon in Croke Park.

Dublin: S Cluxton; P McMahon, M Fitzsimons, D Byrne; D Daly, J Small, E Lowndes; B Fenton, MD Macauley; N Scully, D Rock (0-09f), SB Carthy; C Kilkenny, P Andrews, C McHugh (0-02). Subs: C O'Sullivan for D Byrne (HT), P Flynn for N Scully (42 min), K McManamon for MD Macauley (45 mins), E O’Gara (0-01) for P Andrews (47 mins), P Mannion (0-01) for J Small (inj, 49 mins), B Brogan for C McHugh (69 mins)

Kerry: B Kealy (0-01, '45'); S Enright, M Griffin, R Shanahan; P Crowley (0-01), T Morley, K Young; D Moran (0-01), J Barry; A Spillane, P Murphy, D Walsh (0-01); K McCarthy (0-01), P Geaney (0-07, 4f) , J Savage. Subs: J Lyne for S Enright (inj, 16), S O'Brien for J Savage (HT), BJ Keane (0-01)for A Spillane (52 min), A Maher for J Barry (55 min), D O’Sullivan for K McCarthy (61 min), M Geaney for K Young (inj, 61 min)

Referee: S Hurson (Tyrone)