One thing is certain: Dublin fans all over are breathing a deep sigh of relief after an epic game that saw Dublin and Monaghan trade blow for blow and point for point from start to finish. However, in true Dublin fashion, they blew Monaghan away in the final ten minutes with Monaghan star Kieran Hughes amiss at the scoreline after saying Dublin only really had one good half of football this season.
Monaghan had controlled the vast majority of the first half, with Niall Scully's black card making everything difficult for Dublin. However, for all their control the Dublin held out with Dessie Farrell's men leading by a point at the break.
The two sides were as close in the second half, but ultimately Dublin's class showed. The ever-reliable stalwarts McAffrey, Rock and Fenton all found their groove to close out a tight game with the Dublin machine blowing Monaghan away in the final ten minutes, with Rock's 73rd-minute goal the final nail in Monaghan's coffin.
It was a close encounter, but as they've done so many times before, Dublin came up trumps with only minutes left on the clock, with their performance leaving Monaghan star Kieran Hughes wondering if they'd had more than one good half of football this season.
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Kieran Hughes Says Dublin had just one good half this season
In what was a brutally honest from Monaghan star Kieran Hughes with BBC Sport after full-time today, he revealed that they'd no reservations about today's game being a foregone conclusion implying Dublin only had one good half of football this season, however, even a hurting Hughes could acknowledge how good the Dubs can be.
Yeah we don't really listen to the outside noise cause the reality of it is the Dubs played one good second half against Mayo [this season] in the last game and that's really it. Bar Sligo or Louth every other team was there or there abouts with them. We were confident during the week, but they really showed their true power in the last five to ten minutes. They were strolling home unfortunately.
Despite his lack of fear during the week, Hughes was nearly in disbelief about how the Dubs dismantled his side in the final few minutes with the Monaghan star convinced it wasn't a seven-point game.
That's the Dubs for you isn't it? You stick with them for so long and then they can blow you away in that four or five minute period. After the third quarter today we were right in it, stuck with them and just I think we lost a couple of kick outs in a row and it got noisy and all of a sudden it was 12-12 then you looked at the scoreboard and it was 14-12 and 15-12 and it was just too long back.
Was that a seven point game? Not for me. But people are going to look at the scoreboard after that and think the Dubs have done what they normally do. But I think if you ask them were they in a game they'll admit yeah.
While Monaghan's season is now over, Dublin are headed to yet another All-Ireland final with their second-half ruthlessness as good as ever. However, better performances will be needed all around should Dessie Farrell intend on bringing another Sam Maguire back to the capital.
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