Jim Gavin reckons Monaghan are going to be a force to be reckoned with in the summer after managing the Dubs to one-point victory over the Farney at Croke Park yesterday.

Dublin's 0-16 to 0-15 Allianz National Football League semi-final win was much closer than expected and Gavin admits Monaghan should be given a lot more credit for their defensive structure.

"People throw out this term 'blanket defence'," the Round Tower Clondalkin clubman told Oisin Langan afterwards at HQ. "I don't know if people read don't the intricacies of these defensive systems these people play.

FT: Dublin 0-17 Monaghan 0-16 Dublin made it difficult for themselves but got over the line ......Now bring on Cork! pic.twitter.com/3wHQS9118e

— Hill 16 Army (@Hill16Army) April 12, 2015

"Monaghan are very adept at playing their particular system, some players go man-to-man, some are going zonal, some are sweeping. It's a credit to them the way they can do it. A lot of hard work obviously goes on on the training field.

"Thye're a very good team. To beat Kerry away and get a result against Donegal shows how good they are. Last week when we played them up in St Tiernach's Park wasn't a true reflection of the team."