EOIN McHugh had made eight consecutive substitute appearances for Donegal before he was named to start last Saturday’s Ulster semi-final against Tyrone.
The Kilcar clubman hadn’t been on the field for the throw-in since August 2016 when Dublin knocked the Tir Chonaill men out of the Championship at the quarter-final stage and after taking last season out, he admits he found it a struggle to match his team-mates for fitness.
He couldn’t nail down a place in the starting line-up during Donegal’s successful Division Two campaign but his performance against the Red Hands, when he formed part of Donegal’s half-back screen and got forward to score a point, will make him hard to shift as Declan Bonner’s men prepare for the Ulster Championship final against Cavan on June 23.
“I was in and out of it during the League,” he said.
“I took the year out last year and when I came back I struggled to get up to pace with the boys. I found it hard to get back into it in terms of getting the pace up.
“I’m working in Dublin as well, so you’re up and down the road but Declan took the chance with me and I was delighted about that. I’ll keep the head down for the next two weeks and try and push on for the Ulster final.”
Since taking over as senior manager, former Donegal U21 boss Bonner has consistently said he picks his teams on merit and gives players performing well at training an opportunity.
“From the start of the year he told us: ‘If you’re going well at training you’re going to get your chance’ and you saw that through the League with Oisin Gallen,” said McHugh.
“He was flying at training and he got his chance – it doesn’t matter who you are, Declan will play you if you’re going well. If you’re in the right position to play he’ll put you in.”
McHugh is one of a select few in Bonner’s squad who doesn’t already have an Ulster Championship winners’ medal. He played in the 2016 defeat to Monaghan and the loss to Tyrone a year later and missed last season’s victory against Fermanagh.
“I have lost two Ulster finals and a semi-final,” he confirmed.
“I’m one of the few – Jason McGee and Oisin Gallen are other ones – who doesn’t have an Ulster medal.
“It would be lovely to get one but you have to keep the head and I’m sure Declan and the boys will keep us level-headed for the final. We won’t get ahead of ourselves.
“Nothing has been won. We have no medals in our pockets after that game but it was important for us to get over it.
“You have to beat these teams to get the medals and Tyrone, going on what they did last year, are one of the top teams. We’re extremely happy to get the chance to play them and the way we’re extremely happy with that performance as well but there’s plenty to work on and we have two massive weeks ahead of us now before we play Cavan.”
“It’s going to be a massive game.
“We watched the drawn game between Armagh and Cavan and they play a nice brand of football and by no means are they going to be easy to beat.
“You have to put the head down and make sure you don’t get carried away with beating Tyrone.”
