Matthew Wilson takes a look at how the Donegal players fared in Saturday’s match.

Donegal saw off Monaghan by 1-26 to 1-20 at Croke Park.

Who stood out for you during the match?

The ratings are as follows:

Shaun Patton: Monaghan’s strategic press in the first-half left the Donegal goalkeeper under pressure on the kickouts. However, things improved greatly after the break. He made a great save to deny Stephen O’Hanlon early on. 6.5

Caolan McColgan: A decent outing for the Muff man. Stephen O’Hanlon got the better of him on one occasion to create a goal chance but he worked really hard going forward and set up a point before coming off for Daire O’Baoill shortly after the break. 7

Brendan McCole: Andrew Woods provided a real challenge for McCole early on, kicking a pair of two-pointers. The Mountcharles native picked up Jack McCarron when he was introduced by Gabriel Bannigan in the second half and kept the Monaghan forward scoreless. 7

Peadar Mogan: The St Naul’s clubman did a good job taking care of Michael Bannigan for the majority of the contest while also providing his usual pace and energy going forward, chipping in with two points for his side. 7

Ryan McHugh: McHugh wasn’t at his usual high standard but carried out his responsibilities well nonetheless. He had some joy under the breaking ball and kicked a quality score in the opening stanza.

He was substituted for his cousin Eoin as the game approached the final quarter. 7

Eoghan ‘Ban’ Gallagher: The Killybegs man put in a good shift on Saturday. He’d the opportunity to put Donegal in the driving seat early on but his shot at goal was well stopped by Rory Beggan. He made a fine block on Ryan McAnespie to deny a score later in the half. 6.5

Finnbarr Roarty: It was another fantastic performance for the tenacious Donegal defender. He made a number of terrific turnovers including one that led to Eoghan Ban Gallagher’s first half goal opportunity. He’s a certain contender for Young Footballer of the Year. 8.5

Hugh McFadden: McFadden put in a solid shift for McGuinness’s outfit during his involvement at Croke Park, trying to limit the Farney men’s strong running game. He was subbed off for Jason McGee shortly after being shown a yellow card by Paddy Neilan. 6.5

Michael Langan: On his 100th appearance for the county, the Donegal midfielder sprung to life in the second half. His 46th minute goal was a crucial moment in Donegal’s comeback and closed the side’s account for the evening with a superb two-pointer. 8

Ciaran Moore: It was a good showing from Ciaran Moore on Saturday. The St Eunan’s man was lively and provided real energy for his side when driving up the pitch throughout the encounter. 7

Ciaran Thompson: Thompson contributed significantly in attack at GAA Headquarters. He kicked two important orange flags in the opening stanza to keep Donegal within touch of Monaghan. 7

Shane O’Donnell: O’Donnell was outstanding at HQ on Saturday, delivering a man of the match display. The Letterkenny native covered every blade of grass at Croker and added three great points, rounding off a marvellous performance. 9

Conor O’Donnell: An impressive display for the Carn man to keep up his fine recent form. He continuously drove at the Farney county in the second half, causing them real problems and concluded proceedings with four points to his name. 8

Michael Murphy: A decent day at the office for the 2012 All-Ireland winning captain. Murphy stood up in the second half when his team needed scores to get back into the match. He played a key role in Michael Langan’s three-pointer. 8

Oisin Gallen: Oisin Gallen picked up where he left off against Louth in the capital, kicking the opening two scores of the contest before adding a third shortly after the restart on a solid outing for the 2024 All-Star. 7

Subs:

Daire O’Baoill: Another fine showing from the bench for the Gaoth Dobhair man who is a real asset to be able to call upon. O’Baoill really added to Donegal’s attack in the second half, helping to create a couple of scores for the side. 7

Jason McGee: McGee provided real energy and physicality around the middle third after his second half introduction. He offered Patton another option on kick-outs and won a free for his team at a key stage. 7

Patrick McBrearty: The Donegal captain was introduced with 20 minutes to go and looked like a man keen to impress. McBrearty was very influential and linked up really well to set up a couple of scores as well as notching one of his own. 7.5

Eoin McHugh: Eoin McHugh was brought on in place of Ryan McHugh for the closing quarter and the Kilcar man carried out his duties well to see Donegal maintain their advantage. 6.5

Niall O’Donnell: Not long enough for assessment.