Real air of optimism in Roscommon right now - Mark McHugh

Mark McHugh says that three-from-three Roscommon aren’t getting too carried away with their brilliant start to life in Division 1 of the NFL.

Ahead of Sunday’s trip to Monaghan, Davy Burke’s team sit top of the pile and might well already have their top flight status secured. But there is so much still to play for in the second part of this league campaign.

For a start, finishing in the top four would make Roscommon third seeds at worst in the All-Ireland SFC group stages. But you believe McHugh when he says no one is really looking at any of that just yet.

The Rossies have momentum. And even though Monaghan picked up their first points of the season at the expense of Donegal last time out; both Burke and McHugh will no doubt view their visit to Clones as a brilliant opportunity to keep their winning run going.

Regardless of what they do or don’t think - or where this campaign eventually leads them - there is a real bounce to matters in Roscommon at this moment in time. And it’s given everyone a real lift.

“It’s been a brilliant experience so far,” said McHugh. “They are a bit like Donegal in that sense, Roscommon people are football mad. Hurling is a secondary sport and there isn’t a whole pile of rugby or soccer.

“It’s really Gaelic football and not much else. They’ve had some big days the last few years but they’ll tell you themselves the main thing they’ve lacked is consistency.

“They were kinda branded as a yo-yo team - they were up and down. And that probably did sting. It definitely did because I’ve realised just how important football results are to the supporters here since I came on board.

“Davy said to me at the very start, one of the initial goals was to find some consistency. To be fair to everyone, three games in and to be top of the table is a brilliant reflection of the work they’ve put in.

“The group has done absolutely everything they’ve been asked to do. And listen, no one is getting carried away. But it’s okay to point out that their hard work has already got a little bit of reward.

“It really is viewed as just an encouraging start. We know there is a hell of lot of road still in front of us”.

What makes Roscommon’s start to life back in Division 1 even more impressive is that they were the last county to appoint a boss when Burke did come on board back in October.

There was little to no fanfare at the time. Indeed Donegal’s protracted search to find their own new boss was eclipsing most other managerial talk. Still, McHugh says once things did come together, it all gelled pretty quickly.

“It came about late in the day,” McHugh said on Burke’s initial approach to come on board with him. “We’d a really good talk. He was very honest. He said as a young manager, Roscommon county board probably felt they were taking a bit of a chance on him.

“But I could see right away that he meant business. And I’m sure the decision-makers in Roscommon also got that really positive vibe as well. He has a mighty energy and he’s taken other really good people in around him. There is a lovely vibrancy there.

“I was delighted to get the opportunity. Chances like that don’t come around too often for someone my age, to get involved at that level. I don’t have that much coaching experience. I’ve been involved at underage with Fermanagh and with the Donegal ladies. But Davy definitely took a gamble in that sense”.

There are a number of former Donegal players like McHugh, Paul Durcan and Colm McFadden (Sligo), and Michael Boyle (London) involved at senior intercounty level with other outside teams.

And some Donegal supporters will be asking the very relevant question ‘why there, and not here?’ McHugh says he can only speak for himself but his reasons are very straight forward.

“It’s like a clean slate really. It’s away from home, there aren’t the same number of… not distractions but I think you just get that little bit more space to maybe learn. Like, I have friends, former teammates and even a brother still involved with Donegal.

“Even at club level, you’re coming up against all those lads week in, week out. I’d have watched Roscommon football for the last number of years, of course. But I’d no real connections with any of the lads. I’ve been able to come in and get the head down and learn. It’s as simple as that really”.

McHugh is employed with recycling solutions group Enva and much of his work involves journeying south. Roscommon is a very convenient fit in regard.

“I cover Ulster obviously, but I go well into Connacht as well. I’m in Galway all day today so I’ll head to training this evening on the way home. The weekends are obviously different, I could be away at 6.30 in the morning on a Saturday or a Sunday. That’s a two and a half hour drive, door to door.

“But I’m really fortunate that I’ve a very understanding wife and family at home that help me make it work”.

Roscommon have a huge Connacht SFC opener away to Mayo to plan for with the counties set to meet on 9 April. Given both teams’ form to date in this league campaign, their Round 5 meeting on Sunday, March 5, also at Hyde Park, is sure to be a real humdinger.

“Yeah - championship just two weeks after our last league game against Donegal so it’s a seriously quick turnaround. But that’s the way this split season is going to work. It’ll be a real cauldron. Mayo are also looking really good at this moment.

“But it’s something everyone should be really looking forward to. As coaches and players, you want to test yourself in that kind of environment. And the supporters will love getting behind all of that”.