Peter Keane's decision to bring in Jack Barry instead of Killian Spillane limited the effectiveness of Dublin's Brian Fenton. Dublin played facing the Railway End in the first half. Nevertheless, Paul Mannion had pointed to put Dublin into the lead within 17 seconds. A David Clifford miss for Kerry was followed by Seán O'Shea equalising for the Kingdom. By the fifth minute Dublin were in the lead by 0–3 to 0–1, Dean Rock having scored one from play and one free. Paul Geaney had a goal chance for Kerry in the seventh minute, beating Stephen Cluxton in the Dublin goal only for James McCarthy to clear the ball off the line. Clifford missed again. Then he scored a point. Jonny Cooper conceded a penalty to Kerry while holding onto Clifford. Having stepped off his line in advance of Geaney striking the ball, Cluxton saved; and Sean O'Shea levelled the game from the resulting '45. Stephen O'Brien and Mannion exchanged scores before referee David Gough showed Cooper the yellow card for persistent fouling, after another tangle with Clifford. Sean O'Shea put Kerry ahead with the free. Then Jack McCaffrey scored his fourth championship goal to give Dublin a 1–4 to 0–5 lead. Dublin's Rock and Kerry's O'Shea continued to exchange points until the end of the half (Con O'Callaghan's score being the only exception). Then, with the break approaching, Cooper fouled Clifford once more and received a second yellow card and then a red, reducing Dublin to 14 players. Sean O'Shea sent the resulting free between the posts to leave the half-time score at Dublin 1–9 Kerry 0–8.
