Rory Beggan: 'There's nothing in the water. It's sheer character and resilience from the lads'
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Watch: Monaghan win dramatic All-Ireland quarter-final shootout
Monaghan goalkeeper Rory Beggan says "sheer character and resilience" are the main factors behind the county's run to the All-Ireland semi-finals.
The Farney men reached the last four with a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Armagh at Croke Park, with Beggan saving two kicks.
It continued Monaghan's knack for producing late drama in games but Beggan insists that the county's ability to come out fighting after being written off is simply down to hard work behind the scenes.
"There's nothing in the water now, it is sheer character and resilience from the lads," said the Scotstown club-man.
"We know we have the talent there. We have numerous minor championships, Under-21 championship. These boys are winners coming through.
"We have that bit of experience of winning when we were starting off and these boys are bringing through that mentality now.
"I think the work that's been done at underage levels, it's paying off. Our minors are in an All-Ireland final next week. There's a lot of good work being done."
Beggan twice saved from Armagh's Callum Cumiskey in the shootout to send Monaghan to the All-Ireland semi-finals for the first time since 2018.
The game ended with Beggan and his team-mates celebrating joyously at Croke Park, but the 2018 All-Star goalkeeper insists he would rather have had a win without the stress and tension of a shootout.
Beggan twice denied Armagh's Callum Cumiskey in the shootout as Monaghan reached the All-Ireland semi-finals for the first time since 2018
"You'd rather win it in normal time with less stress," he added.
"We knew it would be a possibility. There's been little between the sides in recent years so we knew that if we got into a situation at the end with Mansy (Conor McManus) getting a free, he'd generate a score and then when it came to penalties, it's pot luck really.
"But thankfully our boys stood up and put the penalties away."
When asked to recall what was going through his head immediately before denying Cumiskey for the second time, Beggan said: "I've a place in my head where to go and I don't change my mind.
"It's probably the same with what penalty takers do and I felt with Callum stepping up, he had missed that last one.
"There was a lot of pressure on him. It was probably the biggest kick of his life so I just wanted to get to the right side.
"Thankfully I went the right way because I was diving every way before and not getting near them. Thankfully it worked out.
"Armagh probably have more experience than us in this situation. We played them in a shootout in the McKenna Cup last year and saw them against Galway last year and Derry in the Ulster final this year.
"We'd done a bit of background on them but I don't think it really matters. It's just composure on the day. They had some brilliant takers to put them away but it just takes one or two to miss and thankfully we're here."