HUGH JUST WATCH HIM
Nudie predicts big things for O’hanlon in summer
MONAGHAN legend Eugene ‘Nudie’ Hughes says emerging star Stephen O’hanlon could wreak havoc this summer.
O’hanlon, 21, only made his League debut for Monaghan this year largely due to his basketball prowess – he’s represented Ireland up to under-20 level and has also been on a scholarship in New York.
He made quite the impact off the bench against Dublin on January 27, scoring a goal with his first touch before setting up another in Monaghan’s threepoint win.
They’ve lost all four games since and O’hanlon had to serve a one-match ban against Galway having been sent off after being introduced in Roscommon.
He’s started the last two outings against Tyrone and Kerry, however.
Hughes said: “Stephen O’hanlon will come into his own after the League because we’ll revert back into the old rules. He will make an awful difference.
“He has an eye for goal, great ball control, two-footed and great vision and he’s another potential threat along with [Conor] Mcmanus and if we can get our full-forward sorted and hopefully have Kieran Hughes back and in good form.
“[Conor] Mccarthy will benefit too from O’hanlon because if O’hanlon has one thing he has pace, and he has an eye for goal. He is an unreal talent.”
Three-time All-star Hughes (left) says O’hanlon could have been Monaghan’s x-factor in last August’s agonising Allireland semi-final defeat to Tyrone.
“He should have been the surprise package last year. I don’t think Tyrone would have been able to handle him because I’d say he could do 100 metres in 11.5 seconds.
“His basketball skills, he has all the basketball scholarships you want. It’s just about getting the ball to him.
“All corner-backs are now sprinters so as the man says you have to be a good mind-reader to anticipate the ball. Without doubt, Mccarthy is a special talent but O’hanlon is an exceptional one.”
Monaghan will need them firing in Clones tomorrow when they face a crucial relegation clash with neighbours Cavan.
Hughes continued: “The Dublin game, they overreached their target. Dublin were only back from their holidays 10 days, they had two light warm ups. I questioned it before and said Monaghan were playing Dublin at the right time.
“Everyone was judging Monaghan on the performance that day which was a bit like the 50 minutes of the Kerry game where they played very well but the final quarter they faded. They thought they could carry that form from the Dublin game.
“When you look at the form book we know, it hasn’t happened under Malachy [O’rourke] that he has lost as many as he has in-a-row.”
He added: “There is always a great spirit in the Monaghan team, you can be looking at five players dropping out of the system after the Championship is done.
“Do we have five players coming through? At the moment, we don’t have but when we finish the League and start the run-in to the Championship, we will know what we have.
“Everyone that is representing Monaghan at the moment, they are the best that they have at the moment and I hope we wouldn’t start to slide but you never know.”