By Michael McMullan

MONAGHAN have had both eyes on Donegal since Monday morning’s draw turned up Saturday afternoon’s All-Ireland quarter-final clash.

It’s a repeat of the Farney’s two-point defeat when the sides met in the Ulster Championship.

For Monaghan manager Gabriel Bannigan, it didn’t matter who was coming down the tracks. Donegal, Galway and Dublin would all have presented a challenge.

Since topping their group with a win over Down, Monaghan have mixed up their approach in the first week of preparation.

There was a look at their own performance and nursing any knocks from a high-octane game.

They also took a delve into the video archive to reacquaint themselves with key elements of Donegal, Galway and Dublin’s play. They were also able to suss out last weekend’s action before locking in on Donegal.

“We were working on the things we wanted to work with our own lads arising out of the Down game,” Bannigan told Gaelic Life.

“This week, we’ll be fine-tuning it based on Donegal, in terms of where we’re going to go about it.”

Bannigan highlights the obvious similarities between their win over Down and Galway coming out of a shootout with Conor Laverty’s side.

Ferocious football, an abundance of attacking play with a concern over the concession rates.

“It was ferocious, 100mph championship football,” Bannigan said. “There was high intensity and huge work rate, serious pace from both teams. There was some brilliant score-taking, the same thing as the previous week.

“I just think that’s the way Down play the game. I was delighted, I knew Down were going to give us a huge challenge and I was just delighted to come out the right side.”

It’s different to how Donegal play. Jim McGuinness has found the balance between the pace of Caolan McColgan, Ciarán Moore and Finnbarr Roarty breaking forward with ensuring the back door is closed.

“I think the Donegal game will probably be a bit different in Croke Park because Donegal play it differently than Down do,” Bannigan said.

“We’ll have to prepare accordingly, because Donegal are a different type of opponent than Down are.”

Monaghan will give Gary Mohan until the last possible opportunity to gauge his recovery from a hamstring injury against Clare.

Michael Hamill and Bobby McCaul are out long-term. Aside from that, barring any late injury problems, Monaghan are picking from close to a full hand.

Compared to the injury plague they had last season; it’s a position of strength.

For Bannigan’s it’s one of three pleasing aspects of the Oriel pack this season.

“First and foremost, what’s really pleased me is the response of the players,” he said, having stepped up from Vinny Corey’s backroom team to sit in the hotseat.

“The most important thing you’re looking for as a new manager is that you get the buy-in from the group, and we’ve certainly got that.”

The second is consistency. Monaghan have won nine of their 12 games so far. One of the defeats was at the hands of Down when they’d already their league final spot secured and without the edge they needed every other week to secure promotion.

“The third thing that’s pleased me is that we’ve had a better bill of health this year than last year,” he said, measuring it against last year when they were down to the bare bones some weeks in terms of experience.

There was a blip around the time of their defeat to Roscommon earlier this season, but, in the long-term, Monaghan have had a competitive squad at their disposal.

“I think the strength and conditioning team deserve a huge amount of credit for the way they have managed the training load and the conditioning of the group,” Bannigan said.

He’d love to have Hamill and McCaul in the same bracket as Mohan, on the way back, but he accepts that there will always be bangs and bumps along the way.

“We’d love to have those two boys but every team will lose a couple of players,” he added.

Between buy-in, consistency and injury prevention, they’ve all contributed to promotion, a league title and finishing top of their All-Ireland group.

Bannigan speaks of Monaghan being a “football mad” county used to dining at the top table.

Conor McManus stepping away represents transition. Both would’ve loved one more year, but the player’s body advised otherwise. Imagine McManus burling points with the increased freedom the FRC’s enhancements have granted.

“That’s life and that’s sport and that’s the transition that’s happening with the squad,” Bannigan pointed out.

“There’s a number of household names that have moved on. My task, as a new manager, was to try and find some new talent to bring freshness into the panel.”

Bannigan bent the ears of the older players to stay on as part of the handover.

Karl O’Connell and Darren Hughes said yes. McManus couldn’t. Bannigan borrowed a punchline from Meatloaf – two out of three ain’t bad.

“We managed to hold on to Darren and Karl,” he said. “They’ve been a really positive influence and their experience around the panel has been a big help.”

It’s the players in the mid-twenties that have also now put up their hands to take ownership of the group.

The you have a player like Dylan Byrne, coming in from a club season with Magheracloone and has played every minute for Monaghan this season. Aaron Carey made his debut in the league final.

Louis Kelly stepped into a role on Odhrán Murdock for his debut.

“Not an easy task but he did a really good job,” Bannigan said of Kelly’s input.

Stephen Mooney and Ciarán McNulty are now in their second season and adding minutes.

“That’s the balance you’re trying to get within the squad,” Bannigan said of a manager’s role. He’s happy with the piece of the jigsaw he has around him.

“The most important thing is that everyone’s pulling together. We do have a good spirit in the camp. I’m delighted with the backroom team.

“We’re working really well together on the management side of things. There’s a really good balance there between the coaching, strength and conditioning and the medical side of the house.”

There is a foundation but this week is about laying the first row of blocks on the next floor of the project.

The venue is Croke Park. Donegal are in the opposite corner. An Ulster derby with no secrets. It points to a game of fine margins.

Monaghan have the tools. And they will believe. Will they be enough?

LAST TIME

2025 SFC Donegal 0-23 Monaghan 0-21
DONEGAL advanced to another Ulster semi-final after they held off a late surge from Monaghan in Clones. Having led from the fifth minute on, Donegal always looked the more likely winners, but a much-improved second-half performance from Monaghan ensured that this one went right down to the wire.

Monaghan: R Beggan (0-1 45); R Wylie, K Duffy, D Byrne; D Ward (0-6, 2tp), R O’Toole, C McCarthy (0-3, 1tp); M McCarville, G Mohan (0-1); C McNulty, M Bannigan (0-5, 2f, 1 tp), R McAnespie (0-1); S O’Hanlon, A Woods, D Garland
Subs: J McCarron (0-2 tp) for Garland, G McPhillips for McCarville, S Mooney (0-2) for Woods, J Wilson for McNulty, K O’Connell for Byrne

Donegal: S Patton; F Roarty (0-1), B McCole, S McMenamin; R McHugh, C Moore, P Mogan (0-4); H McFadden, C Thompson (0-5, 1tp, 1m); D Ó Baoill (0-2), M Langan (0-4), S O’Donnell; P McBrearty (0-1), M Murphy (0-3, 1tpf), C O’Donnell
Subs: O Gallen (0-1) for C O’Donnell, J McGee for McFadden, J Brennan (0-2) for McBrearty, A Doherty for Ó Baoill, O McFadden-Ferry for McHugh (temp)

LAST FIVE MEETINGS

2025 SFC Donegal 0-23 Monaghan 0-21
2023 SFC Donegal 0-19 Monaghan 0-17
2023 NFL Monaghan 1-20 Donegal 0-15
2022 NFL Donegal 0-10 Monaghan 1-12
2021 NFL Donegal 1-20 Monaghan 4-11

SEASON SO FAR

MONAGHAN

NFL
Cavan 0-20 Monaghan 2-22
Monaghan 2-29 Westmeath 2-21
Roscommon 0-25 Monaghan 2-14
Monaghan 3-16 Cork 1-15
Louth 1-21 Monaghan 1-27
Meath 1-20 Monaghan 1-29
Monaghan 2-17 Down 0-24
Monaghan 1-26 Roscommon 0-19

Ulster SFC
Monaghan 0-21 Donegal 0-23

All-Ireland SFC
Louth 4-8 Monaghan 1-23
Monaghan 1-25 Clare 1-16
Monaghan 2-27 Down 1-26

DONEGAL

NFL
Donegal 0-20 Dublin 0-16
Kerry 1-18 Donegal 0-23
Donegal 0-21 Armagh 1-10
Galway 0-21 Donegal 0-14
Donegal 1-22 Derry 1-19
Donegal 0-19 Tyrone 0-25
Mayo 1-18 Donegal 1-16

ULSTER SFC
Donegal 1-25 Derry 1-15
Donegal 0-23 Monaghan 0-21
Donegal 1-19 Down 0-16
Donegal 2-23 Armagh 0-28

ALL-IRELAND SFC
Donegal 0-20 Tyrone 2-17
Cavan 1-13 Donegal 3-26
Donegal 0-19 Mayo 1-15
Donegal 2-22 Louth 0-12

TOP SCORERS

MONAGHAN
Rory Beggan 0-54 (23tpf,4 45, 2tp,1f)
Mícheál Bannigan 3-40 (8f, 4tp, 2m)
Jack McCarron 4-31 (6tp, 9f, 1-0pen, 1 tpf)

DONEGAL
Michael Murphy 0-42 (5tpf, 9f, 5 45, 2tp)
Dáire Ó Baoill 1-33 (10 tp)
Ciarán Thompson 1-31 (4tp, 6f, 1tpf)