Donegal may have been pushed all the way by Monaghan in Sunday's Ulster football championship quarter-finals, however, Jim McGuinness’ side also proved why they are considered the side to beat in the race to land the Sam Maguire.
Next up for the Donegal men is a semi-final clash with Down for a place in this year’s provincial decider, while the ultimate aspiration will be in Dublin later this summer in their quest to land the All-Ireland title.
And McGuinness’ side are being praised from all quarters following an impressive league campaign, while taking their form into the Ulster championship where they easily accounted for Derry earlier this month with ten points to spare at the end of the preliminary encounter.
One such admirer is fellow Ulster man and former All-Ireland winner with Tyrone, Peter Canavan, who was impressed with what he saw in Clones on Sunday afternoon as Donegal beat an in-form Monaghan side.
"Their efficiency in the first half, they had 13 shots and they scored 12 times," said Canavan, speaking on The Sunday Game.
"Their movement and their running off the ball, they always have so many options for the man in possession," he added.
"Donegal are often criticised for not taking too many two-pointers, but the reason is, if you look at the heat map of their shots, it’s nearly always inside the 40-metre line, they are so programmed.
"And they are brilliant at one-on-one situations and they are not afraid to take the man on.
"The only downside with playing that type of game is that it is a lot out of the body, and there is a lot of hard running in it, and towards the end they did start to tire and that gave Monaghan a chance to get back into it," said Canavan.
"Donegal's efficiency is off the charts and has been all year. Jim McGuinness will be very happy after that performance," added fellow pundit, Cora Staunton.
"A cruel way for it end for Monaghan - but [referee] David Coldrick got the rule right..."
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) April 20, 2025
Donegal were saved by the hooter up in Clones...#RTEgaa
📺RTÉ2 & RTÉplayer pic.twitter.com/AIfCntIPLW
As for the major talking point in relation to the hooter at the end of the game, with Monaghan in search of one more score to try to draw level with a two pointer or win the game with a last-gasp goal, it was deemed that the referee made the right call.
Monaghan momentarily delayed taking a sideline and the hooter sounded as the ball was out of play offering the referee no option but to blow for full-time.
"If Ryan O’Toole had got the ball in a split-second earlier, it was game on until the ball went dead, but the ball was out of play when the hooter went and that means that the game is then finished," explained Staunton.
"A cruel way for the game to end but ultimately [referee] David Coldrick got it right."
