JIM McGuinness praised his Donegal players for digging themselves out of a big ‘hole’ at Croke Park.
The Donegal boss said the back-to-back Ulster champions were in danger of ‘limping’ out of the Championship after a horror first-half.
But they showed just why they’re All-Ireland SFC title favourites with a brilliant second-half performance to secure their semi-final spot.
Man of the Match Shane O’Donnell, Michael Murphy, Conor O’Donnell and goal hero Michael Langan all punched holes in the Monaghan defence.
Donegal reeled off 11 points in a row in the final 20 minutes or so as Monaghan crashed out of the Championship.
It all turned sour for the Farney who capitalised on Donegal’s fatigue in the first-half to lead 1-15 to 0-11 at the break.
Gabriel Bannigan’s boys were shooting two-pointers for fun with goalkeeper Rory Beggan drilling five first-half points.
And Donegal goalie Shaun Patton was having a nightmare at the other end, struggling on his kick-outs and at fault for Micheal Bannigan’s 27th minute goal.
But Patton was redeemed after the restart, and Donegal rejuvenated generally, as they powered through to the Championship’s last four.
McGuinness said: “We didn’t change any personnel at half-time, we just trusted the fellas to get it right themselves.
“It was over to the players. It’s a moment where you’ve got to say, ‘Listen, we’re in a hole here – and only the players get themselves out of that hole’.
“So very, very happy they responded the way they did, and very happy with the bench as well. That was very important, everyone that came on made a massive contribution.”
McGuinness described the overall experience as a huge ‘stress test’ of the team’s character.
And he acknowledged that they looked ‘tired’ as they played their fourth game in June, and their ninth in the Championship.
Langan’s second-half brilliance after a quiet first-half summed up the team’s afternoon.
McGuinness said: “He scored a massive, massive goal. He was exceptional. He’s a brilliant footballer and that’s the bottom line. He can do it both ways – he’s very stylish and he’s very honest and brilliant defensively. He can fetch and finish. You don’t want much more in a midfielder than that.”
McGuinness had words of praise too for Patton who looked much more assured after the break.
Monaghan really got under his skin in the first-half with their aggressive press and two lines of four.
Patton booted one short kick-out out over the sideline, leading to a Bannigan point.
Bannigan capitalised again when Patton took too long with his kick-out and a tap-over free was awarded.
And Patton must have wished the ground could have swallowed him up when he booted straight to Stephen O’Hanlon who fed Bannigan for the Monaghan goal.
McGuinness said: “You were trying to thread the eye of the needle at that stage with the kick-outs, and we got caught with one, and we were punished for that.
“There was much more variety in the second-half and also we trusted our bigger men to go and fetch. Hugh McFadden did that really well, Michael Langan did it well, Jason McGee when he came in, so all of that was a big plus for us.”
McGuinnes said he was well aware that Monaghan would push hard for the two-pointers.
But knowing it and being able to stop the orange flags going up are two different things – as the first-half proved.
Monaghan helped themselves to four from distance in that period and sub David Garland added a fifth at the end of the second-half.
Beggan and Andrew Woods booted a couple of two-pointers each in the first-half. Conor McCarthy and Ryan O’Toole drilled important singles for Monaghan too.
McCarthy also fired three wides and eventually went off with a hamstring injury in the second-half. So did Ryan McAnespie as everything that could go wrong for Monaghan did.
But at half-time they must have thought a second All-Ireland semi-final appearance in three seasons was coming their way.
It was some difference to their Ulster SFC quarter-final meeting in April.
Back then, it was Donegal that led by seven points at one stage in the first-half, and by six at half-time.
Monaghan fought back bravely that day in Clones to lose by just two.
Donegal were the ones that had to do the fighting back this time and they pinched the win that has left them within touching distance of the Sam Maguire Cup.
Murphy provided vital leadership for Donegal, playing the one-two with Langan for his 44th minute goal and sniping four points.
His three wides were surprising though, particularly his first from a free he’d normally slot over.
Shane O’Donnell and Conor O’Donnell were excellent in helping Donegal exploit gaps in the Monaghan defence after the break.
Those openings hadn’t been there in the first-half and Donegal took full advantage, nailing the first three points of the second-half.
Monaghan were still three ahead in the 45th minute and will wonder how things might have panned out had Beggan converted a 49th minute two-point free.
His long-range shot hit the post and while Woods gobbled up the rebound, he couldn’t convert. If Beggan had scored, Monaghan would have been three ahead.
It all added fuel to Donegal’s fire and when Langan rifled to the net, it was hard to see how they wouldn’t win.
Peadar Mogan, Ciaran Moore and Ryan McHugh poured forward as Monaghan were pinned back for the final 20 minutes or so.
They reeled off 11 points in a row between the 46th and 68th minutes as Monaghan’s entire season spiralled out of their control.
Monaghan resorted to pot-shots for two-pointers late on. Beggan did kick a huge free all the way to the net in the last minute but a free-out for a foul close to goal was given anyhow.
Donegal 1-26
Monaghan 1-20
Donegal: S Patton; F Roarty, B McCole, P Mogan 0-2; R McHugh 0-1, E Ban Gallagher, C Moore; H McFadden, M Langan 1-3; C McColgan, C Thompson 0-4, 2 tp, S O’Donnell 0-3; C O’Donnell 0-4, M Murphy 0-4, 2f, O Gallen 0-3.
Subs: D O Baoill for McColgan 40, J McGee for McFadden 45, P McBrearty 0-2 for Gallen 49, E McHugh for R McHugh 56, N O’Donnell for Murphy 67.
Monaghan: R Beggan 0-5, 1 tpf, 1 tp 1f; R O’Toole 0-1, K Duffy, D Byrne; R Wylie, D Ward, A Carey; M McCarville, G Mohan; R McAnespie, C McCarthy 0-0-2, S O’Hanlon 0-3; A Woods 0-4, 2 tp, M Bannigan 1-2, 0-1f, C McNulty 0-1.
Subs: J McCarron for McAnespie 40, L Kelly for McCarville 50, D Garland 0-2, tp for McNulty 51, D Hughes for Mohan 59, K O’Connell for McCarthy 59, S Mooney for Garland 60-63 blood.
Ref: P Neilan (Roscommon).
