Daniel Hughes says Down cannot let the opportunity of an All-Ireland final slip by them this Sunday when they go head-to-head with Kildare at Croke Park.

James McCartan's side turned heads all across the country when they sent champions Kerry crashing out of the championship at the start of the month with a five-star performance which Hughes knows the team will have to emulate if they are to overcome the Lilywhites.

"It is a good chance to go to a final and that's the only way I am looking at it," Hughes told the Irish Daily Mirror.

"It's a semi-final and you can't really look beyond that. We didn't expect to be here but it's only one game and a massive, massive test. It is a big ask with the way Kildare are playing."

Hughes reckons Down should have been in this position seven years ago when they allowed a nine-point lead to slip against Tyrone in the Ulster final and were hammered by 15 points in the replay. Current Armagh boss Paddy O'Rourke was Down manager at the time and Hughes has nothing but the height of praise for him.

"I know that myself, Benny (Coulter) and a lot of the other lads who played under Paddy have great respect for the guy and we will always be thankful for what he done for us. That was carried on again by Ross (Carr) and he deserves a great deal of credit too for what he did.

"He brought us on again and he helped to take Marty Clarke home as well. With James and the backroom coming in, the county board have to take a bit of the credit as well. The continuity we have had with (trainer) Paddy Tally as well can't be sneezed at because he knows us from Paddy's last year. It was a brave move by the county board to keep Paddy there."

After some disappointing results in recent years, Hughes knows that a place in the All-Ireland final would be a perfect reward for loyal Mourne supporters.

"There was times when you would have to look at yourself and admit you hadn't delivered. There were low points down the years but I'm sure if you ask James he will say that he has low points too.

"You only get very few successes in any inter-county career bar the likes of Kerry and Tyrone. This is a massive opportunity but Cork have been at this level before, Kildare, too. We are the outsiders." Tweet

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