Eoin Bradley (left) missed two second-half goal chances for Derry

The Oak Leafers led 0-5 to 0-2 after 14 minutes but Dublin regrouped to lead 0-10 to 0-8 at the break.

Dublin were 0-13 to 0-9 up when sub Eoin Bradley missed two goal chances with Stephen Cluxton making saves.

The Dubs went 0-18 to 0-11 up but Paddy Bradley brought his tally up to six to cut the lead to three and his late goal chance was blocked by Barry Cahill.

Derry made a late change before the start with squad captain Kevin McGuckin replacing Liam Hinphey at right half-back while it also emerged that full-back Kevin McCloy was lining out despite having a broken finger.

Match photos: Dublin v Derry

However, Paul Murphy swung over a delightful opening point as the Oak Leafers made a confident start.

Mark Vaughan hit two placed balls to put Dublin ahead but Derry replied with four unanswered points including two glorious Paddy Bradley scores.

However from being 0-5 to 0-2 down after 14 minutes, Dublin found their range to hit five points without reply in nine minutes with the Brogan brothers Bernard and Alan becoming especially influential.

Derry hit three of the next four scores to level matters at 0-8 to 0-8 by the 31st minute but the Dubs edged two ahead again by the break thanks to Bernard Brogan and Vaughan frees.

Paddy Bradley looks dejected after Derry's defeat

There was daylight between the the teams three minutes after the break after Alan Brogan and the deadly-accurate Vaughan had pegged on two more points.

The margin was still four (0-13 to 0-9) when the crucial moments of the match came in the 44th and 45th minutes.

In the first of his two goal chances, sub Eoin Bradley cut in from the left to charge through on goal but his shot was a good height for Dublin goalkeeper Cluxton who made the block.

Moments later, Bradley had another chance to net but instead of palming Colin Devlin's pass over Cluxton a la Graham Geraghty, he gathered the ball and the Dublin goalkeeper was able to spread himself to save the shot.

To rub salt into Derry's wounds, Dublin went upfield and tagged on an immediate point with Jason Sherlock wisely tapping over when he might have been tempted to go for goal.

When Dublin's 0-14 to 0-9 lead became 0-18 to 0-11 by the 61st minute, the contest seemed over.

However, Dublin's attempts to play out time then floundered as Fergal Doherty, Conleth Gilligan and both the Bradley brothers hit points to leave a kick of the ball between the teams with two minutes of normal time left.

Derry then had the chance to snatch an unlikely draw when a high ball fell to Paddy Bradley eight yards out deep in injury-time but Barry Cahill stretched to make a superb block as the Hill held its breath.

Dublin showboated as they held possession in the final minute of injury-time but it didn't sit well with their jittery finish.

Derry: B Gillis, M McGoldrick, K McCloy, G O'Kane, L Hinphey, SM Lockhart, Francis McEldowney, F Doherty, J Conway, M Lynch, P Murphy, E Muldoon, C Devlin, Paddy Bradley, C Gilligan.