Dublin survived a bracing examination from a highly competitive Monaghan side to book their place in a first All-Ireland decider since the Covid campaign of 2020.
Vinnie Corey's side, back at this stage despite regular predictions of their imminent disappearance from the top table, again demonstrated their stubbornness as they hung with the unbackable favourites until the final 10 minutes.
Having survived the familiar third quarter power play with their chances intact, the 36-year old Conor McManus swung over two majestic points, one his only effort from play and the next after a well-earned mark, to leave the scores tied at 0-12 apiece heading into the final 10 minutes.
The noise cranked up as the Monaghan contingent, vocally annoyed at being patronised all week, coursed with belief.
If they could have that moment back, they would. It was then that the Dublin 2010s generation made their move.
They kicked for home in a whirlwind final 10 minutes, with Dublin A-listers Brian Fenton, Paul Mannion and Jack McCaffrey floating over points in quick succession to open up a three point gap. A significant margin in the context of a tit for tat game.
Jack McCarron, dropped to the bench for McManus shortly beforehand, steadied things by sending his marker one way and curling over a score. At 15-13 on 65 minutes, Corey would later remark that he felt content with Monaghan's position, knowing their famous resilience in tight finales.
But the Dublin cavalry was now pouring through their increasingly fatigued ranks. Fenton, a quiet presence until the late surge, popped over his second from play.
By now, Beggan was being serenaded by a deafening hail of boos as he frantically assessed his shrinking range of options on each kickout.
In the dying seconds, the coup de grace arrived. O'Callaghan opened up the Monaghan defence with a cleverly angled pass for Dean Rock. The illustrious substitute rounded Beggan to force home the game's only goal from a yard out, a messy effort which put an unwarranted gloss on the final scoreline.
A seven point margin, while harsh, was actually at the lower end of many of the predictions beforehand.
The Ulster side, who had been snubbed by several prospective managers in the off-season, had been once again favourites for relegation from Division 1 and had only availed of the contentious third qualifying spot in the new-fangled group phase. Once in the knockout phase, they edged out Kildare by a point before becoming the latest team to send Armagh packing on penalties.
The Dubs, after several underwhelming performances in 2023, were assumed to be back in the groove after their demolition job on Mayo.
Monaghan certainly dominated the first half possession stats as they happily hogged the ball around the middle, Beggan invariably hovering just inside his own half as a constant option.
The game had settled into a pattern familiar to anyone who has watched Gaelic football in 2023. The Hill bellowed their disapproval from the fifth minute but it wasn't an unpleasant sound to Monaghan ears.
The Dubs tended to eat up the ground quicker on their own attacks, and they were quicker to kick ball into their corner forwards. Cormac Costello carried the scoring load for the Leinster champions, landing six of their eight first half points, two from play, one from a mark.
But the game was being played on the underdogs' terms and but for profligacy in front of goal, they would have led at the break.
The hugely effective Gary Mohan sent Ryan McAnespie through a gap with a rapid handpass. McAnespie, however, hesitated over his options, visibly rejected the handpass across and when he reset to shoot, his weak effort was blocked away by Davey Byrne's outstretched palm.
It was the second time that a Monaghan runner had broken through the cover, Conor McCarthy getting in sight of goal before being fouled by Brian Fenton as he lashed a shot off the left upright.
Not uncoincidentally, the goal chances fell after Niall Scully was black carded for a hand-trip on Conor McCarthy. The Templeogue player was whipped immediately after his return. Ciaran Kilkenny, who had been again held in reserve, thrown into the fray before 30 minutes was out.
Their last whiff of a goal came via the unusual means of a Stephen Cluxton howler, the keeper spilling a fairly harmless McManus shot. Fortunately for the favourites, the ball fell the far side of the post.
Beggan, as he had after the McAnespie shot, stroked over the resulting '45 and Monaghan were largely subsisting on placed ball efforts until a swift brace of points from Michael Bannigan and Mohan around the 26 minute mark.
The underdogs' spirits were high as the Dubs led just 8-7 at the break. But in the wake of the quarter-final, we braced for the third quarter barrage.
Basquel, who got little joy this afternoon, almost nipped around the outside for a goal but was penalised by Sean Hurson for holding the defender's arm and it was McAnespie who popped the first score of the half, levelling the game from a tight angle. Ominously, Basquel was hauled off for Jack McCaffrey shortly afterwards.
2010s Hall of Famers McCaffrey and Kilkenny were now in the game but it followed a distinct pattern for the next 20 minutes, the Dubs nudging one to two points in front before being hauled back.
McManus, who struggled under Michael Fitzsimons' watch in the first half, began to exert more influence.
He showed his game intelligence to manufacture a dubious free on 50 minutes, chasing an unpromising, skied ball from Conor Boyle, receiving a faint nudge from Fitzsimons before flopping to the deck. He clipped over the free himself to make it 0-10 to 0-09.
While Monaghan levelled the scores on three occasions in the second half, they never succeeded in keeping it that way beyond the next play.
O'Callaghan flashed over his first point on 55 minutes before Gannon spun his man, chose not to avail of the mark or try for a goal and fisted a point to make it 12-10.
McManus, growing into the game as the tension rose, struck with his inspirational brace of points on the hour mark to level the game.
Then, belatedly, came the Dublin tour de force. First, Fenton immediately made it 13-12.
For the second year in a row, Sean Hurson penalised the team in possession in the Cusack/Hill 16 corner of the ground, Stephen O'Hanlon insisting in vain that he hadn't picked it off the ground.
From an identical angle to Clifford's free last year, Paul Mannion curled it over with his left peg.
For the first time in the game, the lead was pushed out to three, as McCaffrey was found in space on the right and he curled over a point off the far post.
Beggan's kickouts were now creaking under the Dublin pressure, the sky blue terrace behind him jeering his every hesitation.
From then on, it was only how much. And so, after falling into the semi-final stage, Dessie Farrell guides Dublin back to the All-Ireland final, this time with a crowd there to see it.
Dublin: Stephen Cluxton; Eoin Murchan, Michael Fitzsimons, David Byrne; James McCarthy, John Small, Lee Gannon (0-01); Brian Fenton (0-02), Brian Howard; Paul Mannion (0-02, 1f, 1m), Paddy Small (0-01), Niall Scully; Cormac Costello (0-07, 3f, 1m), Con O'Callaghan (0-02), Colm Basquel.
Subs: Ciaran Kilkenny for Scully (29), Jack McCaffrey (0-01) for Basquel (43), Lorcan O'Dell for Paddy Small (62), Dean Rock (1-01, 0-01f) for Mannion (68), Tom Lahiff for Costello (71)
Monaghan: Rory Beggan (0-03, 3 '45); Darren Hughes, Kieran Duffy, Ryan Wylie; Karl O'Connell, Conor Boyle, Conor McCarthy; Kieran Hughes, Killian Lavelle; Stephen O'Hanlon (0-01), Michael Bannigan (0-01), Ryan McAnespie (0-01); Conor McManus (0-05, 3f, 1m), Gary Mohan (0-01), Dessie Ward.
Subs: Karl Gallagher for Ward (44), Jack McCarron (0-01) for Kieran Hughes (45), Colm Lennon for Darren Hughes (blood sub, 50), Darren Hughes for Lennon (54), Ryan O'Toole for Boyle (59), Sean Jones for McAnespie (66), Lennon for Lavelle (69)
