Donegal ace Shaun Patton will ‘have a huge say’ on Meath result - Rory Beggan

Rory Beggan says Shaun Patton is crucial to Donegal’s All-Ireland aspirations - and has backed his fellow goalkeeper to make the difference against Meath at the weekend.

Monaghan’s 4-4-4 zonal press - with Beggan patrolling the back end of all of that - rattled Donegal and the usually sound Patton in the first-half of their quarter-final tangle.

Beggan’s ridiculous late two-pointer there helped send the Farney men in 1-15 to 0-11 clear at the break and Jim McGuinness’ Ulster champions looked on the brink of All-Ireland elimination.

But Donegal and, to be fair, Patton, reemerged a much different proposition and by the full-time whistle at Croke Park were pulling up with six to spare.

Beggan says he expects Donegal to make it through to the decider this Sunday but adds they’d be foolish in the extreme to even begin to look past the weekend’s task.

“Donegal won’t dare to look past Meath,” he told DonegalLive. “It’s a huge opportunity for them as well. But Jim McGuinness doesn’t strike me as the type of individual to allow that to even begin to creep in.

“Meath will see the opportunity that’s there and they’ll back themselves. Their championship resume already includes taking down Dublin, Kerry and Galway.

“But all things being equal, and knowing what Donegal are about, I think they’ll get the job done. Last year’s semi-final loss to Galway is huge motivation, I think, going into this one.

“But it will be close either way”.

On his fellow custodian, Beggan says Patton is right up there with the country’s best. And while Monaghan did turn the screw on him in that opening 35 minutes, Beggan says it didn’t flinch the Donegal stopper which, in it’s own way, was hugely impressive.

READ NEXT: Some big All-County League ties down for consideration this coming weekend 

“Shaun is one of the best in the country. Our game, the first-half in particular, probably wasn’t a true reflection of just what he's about.

“But I’ve huge admiration for him. He destroyed us in the Ulster game. He’s a strong mental character too.

“He steadied things against us and I’ve no doubt he’s going to have a huge say on whether or not Donegal go on and get over the line.

“He’s very hard to read, for opposition sides I mean. When he takes one step back, most ‘keepers are going short in that instance. They all are really, except Shaun.

“But he has a unique way of striking the ball that somehow allows himself, in those instances, to still clear the press.

“And you look at Shaun, he’s not the biggest goalkeeper about. But there is serious power there, obviously.

“But it’s much more than that, it’s a technique he’s honed and crafted over the years. And you just have to admire it”.