Dessie Farrell finds himself in an ideal position going into the All-Ireland final.

People say that semi-finals are for winning, which of course they are, but they’re also about how you carry yourself into a final.

While Dublin didn’t play well against Monaghan, they got a serious test and lots of individuals will know that they didn’t play up to scratch. They’ve now got a two-week build-up to the final where they can go after that improvement.

After 59 minutes, Monaghan were exactly where they would have hoped to be at that stage. The game was level and had been played mostly on their terms.

They hadn’t conceded a goal. Their match-ups worked out. Rory Beggan’s kickouts were functioning well. They gambled on starting Conor McManus and got a return.

They ticked so many of the boxes required to beat Dublin up to that point.

So, to wind up with a seven-point defeat 15 minutes later was harsh on them and certainly didn’t reflect how the game unfolded.

There’s a historical element there, in that Dublin were bidding to reach their 44th final while Monaghan were going for just their second and, crucially, while a shock was on the cards, Monaghan never led the game at any point.

But, for me, there were three main factors as to why Dublin kicked on to win the game as they did.

One was Cormac Costello’s performance, especially in the first half. He wasn’t one of the marquee forwards discussed at length beforehand but he stood up when needed in that first half. The fact that Dublin went in leading by a point was down to him.

Then there was Dublin’s strength off the bench. Dessie was able to hold back Ciaran Kilkenny and Jack McCaffrey, while Dean Rock also made a telling cameo. All three are multiple All Stars who can be trusted to make the right decisions.

That impact is a huge part of why Dublin are different from the last two years, when they lost two semi-finals with a relatively weak bench. Leaving some of these lads out is a gamble, particularly with Kilkenny, but I bet the management will stick with him in this new role for the final.

The third factor was the leadership of certain Dublin players in that final quarter.

We often see Dublin blitz teams after half-time but Monaghan hung in there. Come the last 15 minutes, however, Brian Fenton played his best football of the year; James McCarthy was getting on ball and driving forward.

Stephen Cluxton’s kickouts were all on point, while he came out and fisted a ball clear too. Con O’Callaghan was quiet for the most part, but he finished the game brilliantly.

There is a lot of hurt in this group from the last couple of years and they knew that they had a great chance this year after getting Cluxton, McCaffrey and Paul Mannion back.

They have the luxury of bringing McCaffrey in for the last 30 minutes or so; he gets Dublin moving forward in the final phases of the game. And while Mannion didn’t fire on Saturday, he’s still a massive player.

Sean Bugler’s energy was missed and with Paddy Small coming in, Colm Basquel off colour and Niall Scully getting a black card in the first half, there was a lack of cohesion among the front six.

You would hope that Bugler will be back for the final, which has brought the two best teams together.

Dublin will feel that there is unfinished business from last year’s semi-final, but the team and squad has changed considerably in the meantime.

It’s a last throw of the dice for a lot of them, having got key men back on board and circled the wagons.

It’s a difficult one to call, but I wouldn’t underestimate the hurt in the Dublin group that has been bottled up from the last couple of years and their desire to return to the summit.

Their first 20 players are definitely stronger than last year, while Kerry haven’t really brought through any new faces.

But they have the x-factor up front with the two Cliffords and Sean O’Shea.

In contrast to the two semi-finals, their playing styles are similar and it’ll really be a final for the neutral to look forward to.

Footnote: Condolences to Jim Gavin and the extended Gavin family on the passing of Jim Gavin Snr this weekend. May he rest in peace