There are very few wing half backs out there that get the same close attention as Ryan McHugh. In Donegal’s stunning victory over Derry in the opening round of the Ulster Championship, Mickey Harte switched Conor McCluskey onto the Kilcar clubman in an attempt to try and limit his influence on the game.
Brian Dooher and Kieran McGeeney followed suit as Tyrone and Armagh also detailed different players to limit the impact of McHugh, with Sean O’Donnell and Oisin Conaty both shadowing the Donegal defender.
Conaty followed McHugh step for step throughout the duration of last Sunday’s Ulster final, including extra time, and kicked two-points in the process, but it was the Tir Chonaill men who had the last laugh in the end as they captured the Anglo Celt after a dramatic penalty shootout.
McHugh had little impact on proceedings due to the tight marking of Orchard youngster Conaty, and while it is surely a huge frustration for the two-time All-Star, it’s all worthwhile when Donegal get over the line.
“There’s no point in lying, it definitely is frustrating and it's not easy to get away from, especially being a wee bit smaller in stature and you can’t grapple and get into pulling and dragging with people to get away from them,” said McHugh, the PwC Footballer of the Month for April.
“For people, when you're a wee bit smaller, it's a bit more difficult but to be fair to Oisin Conaty, he' done a great job on me. He didn't give me a minute's peace; I don't know if I ever experienced something as tight.
“Even when the ball was up at the other side of the pitch, he was still sort of standing over me and watching me. But it's something that, unfortunately, I might just have to get used to and just get a lot better at and work on in training.
“Again, it is a cliché, but as long as Donegal are winning, I'm happy. Would I want to play better? Yes, of course I'd want to play better and do it for the people of Donegal and produce a lot more, but as long as Donegal are winning then I'm happy.”
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15 May 2024; PwC GAA/GPA Player of the Month for April in football, Ryan McHugh of Donegal, with his award at his club CLG Chill Chartha, Donegal. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
McHugh burst onto the scene in 2014, during Jim McGuinness’ first reign as Donegal manager and played wing half forward that year and a number of other times over the past decade.
His attacking prowess, pace and direct running style from deep makes him a perfect player for McGuinness’ style of play at wing back and McHugh has popped up with many crucial scores down through the years.
While in the white heat of championship battle, it’s hard to see the positives of someone trying to blot you out of a game, but McHugh does admit that with hindsight, he can take it as a compliment.
“It's not easy to take it as a compliment in the middle of the game when you can't really help out your teammates a lot,” laughed the 30-year-old, who picked up his third Ulster Championship medal on Sunday.
“But I suppose when you sit back and look at it, it's great that the opposition management teams, and opposition managers think that highly of you that they're putting a boy on you to run around and mark you for the game.
“Don't get me wrong, every team in Ireland does it, not just Armagh or Tyrone. Donegal do it, Kerry do it, Dublin do it, everyone does. To be that highly regarded that a man is given a job to do that, it is (flattering). I would like it a bit easier, but unfortunately, that's the way it is.”
