'The challenge now is producing a performance for 70 minutes in Croke Park' - McHugh

Donegal defender Ryan McHugh knows all too well what it’s like to win, and indeed to lose league finals. 

It’s been a decade since the Kilcar man togged out in his first Division 2 decider, when Donegal lost out to Malachy O’Rourke’s Monaghan in Croke Park.  

It would be another five years before he would finally place his hands on the trophy that slipped through his grasp that day in 2014, when Declan Bonner’s side overcame Meath in 2019, the same year the green and gold won back-to-back Ulster titles. 

So, in all that time, it’s fair to say the Donegal half-back has picked up a fair bit of knowledge and experience along the way and will know exactly what his side will have to do to overcome Armagh next Sunday in Croke Park in the Division 2 final. 

Following Donegal’s 1-18 to 1-10 win over Meath in MacCumhaill Park, McHugh and his teammates can take great pride in finishing their league campaign undefeated as they make a welcome return to Division 1 next season. 

But in assessing his side’s victory over the Royals, in a match that saw the Kilcar man make way in the second half due to injury, McHugh acknowledges the 70 minutes as a game where there’s a lot more work needed if they wish to beat Kieran McGeenay’s side on Easter Sunday. 

“Like every match there’s going to be stuff you’re going to want to work on, there’s stuff we’ve done well and there’s stuff we want to do better on, that was the same tonight,” said the two-time All-Star winner. 

“I suppose the first half was a strange game of football in that we could split the game into two parts with the opening 20 minutes being very poor from our point of view. We gave the ball away too easily and didn’t take our chances.  

“But then in the last 20 minutes of that half, I don’t know what happened, but we seemed to flick a switch and turn them over a lot more. We got our shots away and found the scores easier, we just looked like a completely different team. 

“The challenge for us now is doing that for over 70 minutes, because if we don’t do that next weekend in Croke Park or in four weeks' time against Derry, then we’ll get punished.” 

Donegal finished the league with the second-highest scoring rate out of the eight teams and with the best defence, and with Jim McGuinness’s side having nine different players adding their names to the scoresheet against Meath, it’s noteworthy how far the side has come in the space of a year when they suffered relegation from the top division. 

“Look football has changed in general across Ireland since Jim was last here, but to beat the top teams nowadays, you have to be kicking 1-17 at least, so that’s been something we’ve been trying to do while also not forgetting about our defensive side of things,” said McHugh. 

“I think every great team is built on a strong defence, we know that, but at the same time, we’re going to try to hit a high scoring figure everyday.” 

With McHugh and Patrick McBrearty forced off in MacCumhaill Park through injury, the Kilcar duo add their names to the long list of absentees that the Donegal management have had to do without so far this season.  

But while McHugh may not be of any serious worry in terms of injury, he is also hopeful that the absent players are not too far away from making a return to the squad. 

“I’m hopeful that these lads are coming back to the panel fully fit soon. I’m not going to lie but at the moment I’m just focusing on myself and making sure my body is fit.  

Unfortunately, over the past few years I’ve been through the injury pain myself, so I know how these lads are feeling, but I know they’re giving it their all to get back fit for the championship. 

“These lads are putting their lives on hold to get back fit for these games. From what I see, they’re not too far away so hopefully that’s a positive.” 

But for now, even with the short time to recover and prepare, and with the championship looming over the horizon, all focus for Donegal is now firmly on next weekend at a venue that McHugh claims is where all players dream of playing in. 

“Look there’s been a lot of talk about league finals etc. Don’t get me wrong it’s very tight in terms of time from the league to the championship, that’s a challenge, but from a player’s point of view, I knew when I was growing up, I wanted to play in Croke Park and now we have that chance to play in a national final,” McHugh said. 

“I remember how big of an occasion it was in 2019 when we beat Meath in the Division 2 final there. It’s great to be back in Division 1 but for a lot of lads here, this is going to be their first experience in Croke Park and we’re going to give it our all and take the cup back down the road to Donegal.”