Sharon Courtney thinks Monaghan's shock defeat in this year's Ulster ladies' football final has been a blessing in disguise.
Monaghan were widely expected to regain the provincial title but Donegal got the better of the Farney County in the decider.
Since then they have bounced back with a win over Cavan in the TG4 All-Ireland qualifiers, which took them through to the quarter-finals and a clash with Dublin at Clones on Saturday.
And captain Courtney reckons missing out on Ulster glory gave Monaghan a timely jolt for the remainder of the Championship.
Courtney admitted: "Losing to Donegal was a kick in the teeth for us because we had been quite optimistic going into the game.
"It's not that we took them for granted but rather we could not cope with the challenge they provided on the day.
"In the semi-finals we had played well against Armagh, but when it came to the final we were unable to back up that performance. Donegal were that bit hungrier than us and we could not break them down.
"It was hugely frustrating that it did not work out for us but the good thing was the defeat did not mean the end of the road in terms of the Championship.
"We regrouped for the qualifiers and put a big effort into making sure we sorted out some problems and got back to winning ways straight away.
"While we won by 18 points against Cavan, that margin probably flattered us and the outcome might have been different if they had got a goal when an early shot hit the post instead. Clearly we knew that if we could beat them we would be into the last eight and that was a huge incentive.
"After losing in the All-Ireland quarter-finals last year, we want to clear that hurdle at the very least this time to prove we are on the up and among the top four once again.
"Looking back, the Donegal game was something of a wake-up call and it showed us that we had a lot of work to do if we wanted to make a real impact in the All-Ireland Series."
The Dubs are likely to provide Monaghan will their biggest test of the season so far in what will be the sides' first meeting in the Championship since 2009.
While Dublin have several players who have got their first taste of championship action this term, Courtney believes they are not weaker than last year when they won Leinster and reached the All-Ireland final.
"Dublin's team has a slightly unfamiliar look to it but they are every bit as strong as they were in recent years," she added.
"They have brought on some of their outstanding under-21 players and they have blended well with the more established members of the side. All in all they are a physically strong bunch and they possess blistering pace.
"It promises to be a massive examination for us but it is one I feel we will be ready for."
Monaghan – who lost Niamh Kindlon ahead of this season to retirement while Amanda Casey and Christina Reilly have been unavailable – will be looking for an improvement on their last game against Dublin which was in the Tesco Homegrown National League in February.
That saw Dublin run out winners by nine points in what was Peter Clarke's first game in charge of Monaghan since taking over from John Morrison.
In the past Clarke has had stints as the boss of Dublin and Mayo and Courtney says she has been impressed with him since he has come on board.
Courtney said: "You will not find many managers around who know more about the game in general than Peter does.
"And he has put his knowledge to good use to get us properly prepared for games and give us the best chance possible of winning.
"It has not been easy for him coming in around the time when we lost some key players in Niamh, Amanda and Christina. But the squad has been strengthened and we are not short of options.
"Peter has also assembled an excellent backroom team including coach Angie McNally, who is well known in ladies football from her time playing with Dublin.
"Everything has been put in place for us to go out and hopefully challenge for the All-Ireland and clearly a victory over Dublin would be a big step in the right direction."
