Ireland defeated England 14-13 at Croke Park on Saturday to take the outright lead in the Six Nations championship.

After three rounds Ireland, who have not won a grand slam since 1948, are the only unbeaten team in the tournament.

The sides were level 3-3 at halftime after Ireland flyhalf Ronan O'Gara's single penalty success from three on an uncharacteristic off-day was matched just before the break by his opposite number Toby Flood.

Captain Brian O'Driscoll kicked a drop goal five minutes into the second half before slipping over for the game's first try 10 minutes later after England lost prop Phil Vickery to a yellow card. He was named man of the match.

England fullback Delon Armitage reduced the deficit to five before England suffered their 10th sin binning in four matches when Danny Care's infringement allowed O'Gara to stretch the lead. An Armitage try, converted by replacement Andy Goode, proved too late for the visitors.

After holders Wales lost 21-16 in France on Friday, Ireland hold a two-point lead over both sides in their search for a first championship in 24 years.

The victory, however, was very different from that of two years ago when Ireland romped to a 43-13 win in England's politically and historically charged first welcome to Croke Park's home of Gaelic sports.

Declan Kidney's men kept the ball in the forwards early on, hoping to exploit England's recent tendency to give away penalties only for O'Gara to miss the first won within sight of goal, albeit from a tricky angle, on 11 minutes.

O'DRISCOLL SCORES

A ferocious hit by wing Luke Fitzgerald on scrumhalf Harry Ellis 10 minutes later put England's early penalty count past twice the home side's but O'Gara again failed to capitalise, missing well wide to the right.

The Munsterman finally gave Ireland a 3-0 lead just before the half hour after England's forwards were caught offside at the ruck.

When Ireland infringed in front of the posts after lock Paul O'Connell failed to hold on o a lineout ball, Flood drew the scores level to end a drab first half in which the majority of possession was uninspiring and booted up field by both sides.

Within seconds of the restart, O'Gara failed to regain control of the penalty tussle, again missing an easy attempt.

He could have had another opportunity five minutes later but with an Irish penalty awarded, O'Driscoll's speculative drop goal from distance sailed over.

England were lucky to avoid a first yellow card of the match when Armitage upended O'Driscoll out wide. O'Gara opted for touch and touch again after another infringement until Vickery was inevitably carded for the visitors' third successive foul.

The numerical advantage immediately told when Irish record try scorer O'Driscoll dived over from close range for his 35th and possibly simplest international try. O'Gara's poor day from the kicking tee continued as he failed to add the conversion.

Substitute wing Mathew Tait almost broke through for England just after the hour but was smothered by fullback Rob Kearney when he had two men free outside him.

The deficit was pegged back to five when, with Flood receiving treatment for an injury that forced him out of the remainder of the game, Armitage successfully assumed the kicking duties.

Minutes after Vickery returned to the field, replacement scrumhalf Care left after being carded for dangerously coming in from the side and O'Gara knocked over one of his more difficult attempts of the day.

Armitage silenced the crowd he easily beat prop Marcus Horan on a one-on-one chase through with a minute remaining but his first international try proved a consolation only.

O'Driscoll, who received attention for a blow to the head, said it had been hard a game.

"There were a few hazy parts for me," he told the BBC.

"We'll take a one-point victory over England every day. I don't think people give England the credit they deserve, they're always a hard team. It's always very hard against them and we found that exactly to be the case today.

Asked about the yellow cards, he said: "It makes life a bit easier when you are playing against 14. We grafted well and I'm glad to have won."

Ireland BEAT England 14-13 (halftime 3-3) in their Six Nations match at Croke Park, Dublin on
Saturday.

 Ireland - Try: Brian O'Driscoll; Penalties: Ronan O'Gara
(2); Drop goal: O'Driscoll

 England - Try: Delon Armitage; Conversion: Andy Goode;
Penalties: Toby Flood, Armitage

 Yellow cards: Phil Vickery (England) 55, Danny Care
(England) 70

 Teams

 Ireland: 15-Rob Kearney, 14-Tommy Bowe, 13-Brian O'Driscoll,
12-Paddy Wallace, 11-Luke Fitzgerald, 10-Ronan O'Gara, 9-Tomas
O'Leary (20-Peter Stringer 66); 8-Jamie Heaslip (19-Denis Leamy
69), 7-David Wallace, 6-Stephen Ferris, 5-Paul O'Connell,
4-Donncha O'Callaghan, 3-John Hayes, 2-Jerry Flannery (16-Rory
Best 69), 1-Marcus Horan.

 Replacements not used: 17-Tom Court, 18-Mick O'Driscoll,
21-Gordon D'Arcy, 22-Geordan Murphy.

 England: 15-Delon Armitage, 14-Paul Sackey (22-Mathew Tait
57), 13-Mike Tindall, 12-Riki Flutey, 11-Mark Cueto, 10-Toby
Flood (21-Andy Goode 66), 9-Harry Ellis (20-Danny Care 57);
8-Nick Easter (19-Luke Narraway 76), 7-Joe Worsley, 6-James
Haskell, 5-Nick Kennedy (18-Tom Croft 69), 4-Steve Borthwick,
3-Phil Vickery, 2-Lee Mears (16-Dylan Hartley 66), 1-Andrew
Sheridan (17-Julian White 76). 

 Referee: Craig Jourbert (South Africa)