Another awesome attacking master-class from the Dubs blew Monaghan away at Croke Park.

Jim Gavin’s ruthless All-Ireland champions blasted their way to another semi-final with a 17 points defeat of the outclassed Farney men.

Now they’re on collision course with Ulster champions Donegal, and what a fascinating contest that promises to be.

Diarmuid Connolly and Bernard Brogan banged in the first-half goals that broke Monaghan spirits, and it was a cruise from there to the finish.

Monaghan stuck with the Dubs for 25 minutes, but then the floodgates opened with two goals in the space of three minutes, and there was no way back for the Ulster side.

In the early stages, the Dubs found it difficult to break down a Farney defence in which Colin Walshe, Dessie Mone and Colin Walshe were outstanding.

Bernard Brogan tapped over a couple of frees, with Kieran Hughes doing likewise at the other end.

The game was 20 minutes old before it produced its first score from play, but that was a gem, arrowed over from wide on the right from Monaghan’s All-Star attacker Conor McManus.

The sides were deadlocked at 0-3 each at that stage, but Dublin stepped up the tempo in the final 10 minutes of the half, hitting 2-5 and conceding just two points to take a firm grip on the contest.

Diarmuid Connolly ghosted in to beat Rory Beggan with a superb finish in the 25th minute, picking his spot in the bottom corner, and three minutes later, James McCarthy made an untracked run from deep to send Brogan in for another clinical finish.

Monaghan were feeling the effects of last week’s extra-time Qualifier win over Kildare, and Alan Brogan, Jonny Cooper and Connolly and Eoghan O’Gara tagged on points.

Monaghan did pull back scores from Dick Clerkin and Beggan, from a ’45, but at the break, Jim Gavin’s side held a commanding 2-8 to 0-5 lead.

Monaghan legs were visibly tiring, and as extra space began to open up, it was exploited by a hungry Dublin side, who swept over a flurry of scores in the early stages of the second half.

The game was well beyond Monaghan’s reach, and Kevin McManamon and Paul Flynn got in on the act with points.

Two more from Alan Brogan opened up a 13 points lead with 40 minutes on the clock, and they could have had more goals, but substitute Cormac Costello dragged his shot wide, and Connolly also drilled a shot wrong side of a post.

McManus and Clerkin pulled back scores, but there was no way back for Monaghan.

Connolly could have had a hat-trick, another bad miss giving Stephen Cluxton the opportunity to slot over a ’45, making it 2-17 to 0-10 with 10 minutes to play.

Dean Rock came off the bench to hit a couple of points, and Brogan brought his tally to 1-7, and McManus clipped over his seventh point at the other end.

Dublin: S Cluxton (0-1, ’45), M Fitzsimons, R O'Carroll, P McMahon, J McCarthy, J Cooper (0-1), N Devereux; M D Macauley, C O'Sullivan, P Flynn (0-2), K McManamon (0-1), D Connolly (1-2, 0-1f), A Brogan (0-3), E O'Gara (0-2), B Brogan (1-7, 0-5f).

Subs: C Costello (0-1 for McManamon, D Rock (0-2) for O’Sullivan, J McCaffrey for Cooper, P Andrews for O’Gara, D Daly for McMahon, P Mannion for A Brogan

Monaghan: R Beggan (0-1, ’45), R Wylie, D Wylie, C Walshe, D Mone, V Corey, F Kelly, D Clerkin (0-1), D Hughes, K Duffy, P McKenna, S Gollogly, K Hughes (0-2, 2f), P Donaghy, C McGuinness, C McManus (0-7, 5f).

Subs: P Finlay for Donaghy, J McCarron for McGuinness, G Doogan for Gollogly, C Boyle for Duffy, O Duffy for Clerkin, C Galligan for Kelly

Referee: M Duffy (Sligo).