DARREN Hughes has heard the talk. Everyone in Scotstown has. You can’t be from Scotstown and not have heard it.
When a club has their sort of history as an Ulster blueblood there will always be talk.
The talk of past glories, of surnames that appeared on the team sheet then and now, of a three-in-a-row, of St Patrick’s Day.
A fortnight ago they beat Magheracloone to win their 17th Monaghan senior title, their third in succession and fourth in five seasons.
They won five in-a-row from 1977-81, turning three of those in Ulster crowns in ’78, ’79 and ’80. They lost to Nemo Rangers in the ’79 All-Ireland final.
So there’s a hand of history constantly at work in the parish, with prodding reminders of what can be achieved.
Sure, we’ve done it before…
But that doesn’t mean the Mick Duffy Cup gets tossed into the corner when it gets back to Pairc Mhuire.
Two Sundays ago was no different.
“We definitely celebrated,” said Hughes, who scored Scotstown’s first goal in their 2-17 to 0-13 final win.
“You have to celebrate those days because you just don’t know when it could be your last one.
“It was great being down in the club after we had won the final, we’ve got a great set-up and it was great to see the young one there as well, everyone celebrating together.“
It’s important to appreciate it. The club went through a long barren spell when we didn’t win the championship [between 1994 and 2012] so you can’t take it for granted.
“Don’t get me wrong – plenty of men [in the club] were talking about Ulster months ago. That’s always going to be the case when you’re in a club with our history.
“Of course we want to make our own history but as players and management you can’t get ahead of yourself – and you saw that when we were almost out on our ear in the semi-final.”
Ah, the semi-final. Just before the half-time whistle, Hughes pointed to pull Scotstown to within three of Ballybay, 0-6 to 0-9.
For 34 minutes of the second half, they didn’t manage another point, while their opponents pushed on: 10, 11, 12, 13, 14. Halfway through the eight added minutes, the reigning champions were gone.
“We wouldn’t have been thinking we’d be celebrating a championship,” said Hughes. “We were wondering where we were going that night. We thought the season was over.”
Then, some hope, thanks to one of those famous surnames. Michael McCarville smashed home a goal. James Hamill and William Carroll followed with calmly taken points, calmness that belied Scotstown’s predicament.
With the clock into the last of those eight minutes, Hughes stood over a 13-metre free. The audio on the YouTube highlights broadcasts the obvious, picked up from a voice in the stand: ‘Got to go for it, got to go for it.’
Hughes went for it but saw his effort deflected out for a 45. But that just allowed two more names that echo through the Scotstown ages - Beggan and Caulfield - to combine as Rory dropped the ball in for Francis to punch to the net.
“It was surreal,” said Hughes. “Especially as we hadn’t scored the entire second half.
“I’ve never been involved in anything like it. People weren’t even sure at the end if it had actually finished a draw. Thankfully we played a lot better the second day and pushed on in the final.”
The expectation that Scotstown carry into Ulster and Sunday’s meeting with Donegal champions Kilcar isn’t just borne of the club’s exploits in the ’70s and ’80s.
Two years ago they lost an extra-time thriller to Crossmaglen, when a Beggan kick dropped short at the end of normal time was a cause for lament rather than celebration.
That afternoon at the Athletic Grounds – when Hughes was red carded at the death after his brother Kieran had been sent off five minutes into extra-time - was the toughest of the difficult lessons Scotstown have learned over the past four years of mixing it with the best in the province.
“[In 2013] we were going in blind against Ballinderry and only really realised after the match that it was one we should have won.
They got a late goal to win it and then they went on and won the Ulster title. Then it takes us two years to get back because we didn’t win the county championship the next year
“[In 2015] we were able to get over Slaughtneil, then Trillick and the Cross match – everyone remembers it. That was another one we came out of feeling we had left it behind us. And then the next year we were out at the first hurdle against Kilcoo.
“The Ulster Club is a great competition.
“You have to take your chance when you’re in it but every match can be decided by the smallest things on that particular day: the weather, you have to keep 15 men on the field. You can’t look past that day.”
That day is Sunday in Clones against Kilcar, who ended a 24-year wait for the Donegal title with a final win over Glenties the same afternoon Scotstown were beating Magheracloone.
It’s difficult not to look at the match-up as a Monaghan-Donegal showdown in microcosm.
Both clubs are powered by a clutch of players who have slugged it out on the province’s biggest days at county level over the past half-decade.
But Hughes insists manager Kieran Donnelly, in his first year after taking over from now-Cavan boss Mattie McGleenan, and his backroom team will ensure the focus isn’t anywhere near as narrow as that.
“With the McHughs [Mark, Ryan and Eoin] and Paddy McBrearty and Stephen McBrearty, we would know each other very well, but it’s not just about Donegal players.
“The management would be looking at video of Kilcar and seeing how everyone plays and would have us well warned about the dangers of all their players and what we need to be aware of.
“We know you can’t get carried away looking at four or five boys and ignoring what their whole team can do.”
And Hughes knows the same applies to Kilcar as they examine Scotstown and their Monaghan contingent.
“Absolutely. We have had contributions from all through the panel all through the season and on the day – especially in the Ulster club championship when it can be very fine margins – the difference could be made by anyone.”
