DONEGAL STAR Ryan McHugh says that the defeat to Donegal in the 2014 All-Ireland semi-final has taught Dublin how to be ‘more streetwise’.
Dublin have won the last two All-Irelands and that defeat to Donegal in August 2014 is the last time the Dubs have been beaten in Championship football.
McHugh scored two goals – with Colm McFadden netting the other – as Donegal stunned Jim Gavin’s Dublin to win 3-14 to 0-17.
“I think they’re a lot more smart, a lot more streetwise. They’re just getting more experienced, they know how to win games,” McHugh said.
“They’re extremely hard to play against. They’re such a good team with experienced players all over the pitch, no matter where it is. Just runners coming from everywhere.
“You go out and you have to mark six forwards, it’s hard to leave men free. You don’t realise until you actually play against them.
“Maybe in 2014 they were…it’s hard to know, if Diarmuid Connolly finishes the goal then we could be talking about a completely different thing. Football is thin margins.
“Mayo know more about that than any other team, it’s extremely thin margins. You kick a point and you’re the best team in Ireland. Unfortunately if you miss it you’re the villain. That’s the way it goes, it’s football, you train all year, it’s tough. It’s such thin margins.”
Having captured Sam Maguire in each of the last two Septembers, McHugh believes that the Dubs are rightfully seen as the number one team in the country at the moment.
He said: “I read somewhere that Alex Ferguson, I think it was in a letter to Eric Cantona, said that every team when they play United it’s like a cup final.
“I suppose teams in Ireland are facing Dublin now and it’s a cup final, it’s the biggest match when you’re playing the Dubs.
“They’ll definitely go down as one of the best teams ever to play the game, with some of the best players ever to play the game.
“It is phenomenal what they’re doing. It’s a great achievement so it’s going to be hard to knock them off that top spot.”
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