Jim Gavin has insisted that Dublin's 17-point victory over Monaghan was tougher than it looked.

The Dublin manager reckons his side would have been in a spot of bother if they had been anything other than 100 per cent focused on the task at hand.

"I think it was a stern examination today, if Dublin did not bring a performance to Croke Park, we would not have got the result," he said.

"Any dip in form, Monaghan would have hurt us. The success [Monaghan] had was based on hard work and that's what they demonstrated.

"There are lots of tired minds and bodies in that Dublin dressing-room."

Gavin praised his players for refusing to panic after Monaghan had restricted them to just three points in the opening 25 minutes.

"The key strength of this Dublin group is their mental resolve and their industry and they're an intelligent group of men who kept prodding and probing the opposition and looking for gaps to form," he continued.

"They kept their composure and found small little chinks of light along the way.

"There was a great spirit and energy amongst then and they'll have to keep it that way for the next game." Tweet

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