Versatile veteran Darren Hughes powers Scotstown’s push for Ulster glory

Darren Hughes has played in three Ulster club finals with Scotstown. All have been close affairs but he's never been on the winning side. 

Darren Hughes wore 14 for Scotstown against Newbridge but operated mainly in defence. What is his exact position for the club right now? "I haven't a notion," he said. Pic: ©INPHO/Andrew Paton

Monaghan great Darren Hughes reckons an Ulster club SFC title success at the age of 38 could be his greatest achievement yet.

Exactly what role he will play in Saturday week's provincial decider against old rivals Kilcoo, however, he isn't too sure.

Veteran Hughes had the Man of the Match award sewn up in Armagh last Sunday well before he converted the winning penalty at the end of a dramatic shoot-out win over Newbridge of Derry.

Closing in on 40, and wearing number 14 on his back, Hughes operated mainly in defence but got forward plenty of times too, scoring two points and setting up several scores including a goal.

Throw in the fact that he suffered a tibia fracture and knee ligament damage just last year and it amounted to an exceptional feat of endurance.

So what is his exact position?

"I haven't a notion," responded Hughes, not even joking. "I'm not going to tell you any lies, I don't fully know what I'm at. I'm in the middle eight there and sometimes I go in the back four to let Rory Beggan go up when I'm tired.

"I started full-forward at the start of the year but just felt it wasn't working. I wasn't scoring enough. I wasn't good enough. So I've come out the field, around the middle, and it's working so far."

Boss David McCague has sensibly handed Hughes a free pass to influence the game as he sees fit. To use his experience and game intelligence to guide him.

"Darren's a powerhouse and we wanted to bring that power to bear in the defensive side of the game, and in the attacking side of the game as well," said McCague. "He's an amazing man and a phenomenal role model for everybody in our community. He's so resilient and adaptable."

Hughes won two Ulster titles with Monaghan during a near 20-year inter-county career that only ended last August. But he's never got his hands on an Ulster club medal despite lining out in three finals across the last decade; 2015, 2018 and 2023.

They only actually lost one of those finals in the regulation 60 minutes, the 2023 decider, and by just two points on that occasion.

"We've lost three finals, two in extra-time and one by two points," said Hughes. "We've always been competitive on those days but it's been fine margins when you come down to it."

That history of near misses, allied to his age and the sense of a community desperate to finally get over the line, is why beating Kilcoo on December 13 could even be bigger for Hughes than his Ulster successes with Monaghan.

"Probably now, yeah, because I know there's not many big days left for me," he nodded. "To win this for the club, it would be something special. But as I say, we've been here before, three times, and lost each time."

Beating Kilcoo would be particularly sweet too after conceding 5-10 to the Down kingpins when they met at the semi-final stage last year.

Hughes said that that heavy defeat actually hurt more than the previous final losses, given how off the pace they were.

"Ah it did, we got a lot wrong last year," he said, referencing the 5-10 to 0-14 defeat. "We didn't play well. We didn't set up well. We left ourselves open. Thankfully you have to keep four back now so we'll not be caught out like that this time! But no, we didn't play well last year. We didn't do ourselves justice. Kilcoo grasped their opportunity and made hay."