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2. Clinical Donegal shooting returns Donegal hit double digits in wides against Tyrone, Mayo and Louth, but they were back to their previously clinical self that won the Ulster title. Three wides from Michael Murphy and one from Finnbarr Roarty that seemed to be touched on to the post by Rory Beggan were all that Donegal didn’t get on target. Meath, Kerry and Tyrone were all much more wasteful in front of the posts and being clinical will be a huge factor for whatever team lifts the Sam Maguire.
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3. Confidence in side prevents buckling under pressure The sides were level at 0-8 apiece on 25 minutes, but the final ten minutes of the first half saw Monaghan hit 1-7 to Donegal’s 0-3 for a seven-point lead at the break. It was a really difficult spell for Donegal, and maybe half-time came at the right moment to allow them a breather from the Monaghan dominance, but they turned it around in the second half. Speaking to the media after the game, McGuinness said that he didn’t feel the need to change anything at the break and his trust in the side paid off. The confidence and belief instilled in the team by the manager have created a never-say-die mentality and their ability to bounce back in adversity was shown again on Saturday.
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4. Langan celebrates milestone in style Michael Langan marked his 100th appearance with a goal, as predicted by Jim McGuinness. Ciarán Thompson hit the net for the first time in a Donegal championship match against Louth and the boss said ‘no pressure Michael’ when the century appearances was mentioned ahead of Monaghan. And the St Michael’s man showed that pressure makes diamonds as he rifled the ball into the net. Langan has been a crucial part of the team this year and will be well in contention for an All-Star should Donegal make the final.
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5. Full performance is needed in the semi-final There are plenty of positives to take from the win at Croke Park, but Donegal haven’t yet put together a full championship performance at Headquarters since McGuinness’ return. A three-point lead against Louth in last year’s quarter-final had them in a good position before they eventually saw off the Leinster runners-up. But their performance against a Galway side that failed to impress in the All-Ireland final is one that has been in the back of the minds of the team for nearly 12 months now. The side will know that they cannot have another dip like their final ten minutes of the first half against Monaghan and while purple patches will happen for Meath, it’s important to put out that flame as soon as possible. An All-Ireland final spot is up for grabs, and Donegal will go into the game as clear favourites, but a 70-plus minute performance against the Royals, who have beaten Dublin, Kerry and Galway this year, will be pivotal to reaching only their fourth All-Ireland final.