Joe Oguz has been to the brink a few times this season, dicing with defeat before drawing back to grasp at survival and seize the moment of victory.
That’s been the way for an Errigal Ciaran side that has perfected the art of winning tight games.
In the Tyrone Championship, they were taken to a replay by Clonoe, squeezed past Killyclogher by a single point, and defeated holders Trillick in the final, again by the narrowest of margins.
A two-point win over St Eunan’s Letterkenny in the Ulster opener almost felt like an extravagance, and while there was a comfortable passage past an out-of-sorts Cargin side, another battle last Sunday saw them strike late for a one-point win over Clann Eireann and a place in the provincial final.
“I suppose that’s really been the story of the year so far. We never really doubt the skill that we have and the experience, although we would like to be in a more comfortable position going down the stretch,” said midfielder Oguz.
“We know from previous games in the championship in Tyrone – down by a point, level with two minutes to go, we know we don’t shy away from it and we get over the line in the end.”
Kilcoo await in the final, bristling from their five-goal rout of Scotstown, and ready to bring their vast provincial experience to bear on a meeting with an Errigal side with minimal involvement in the competition in recent seasons.
But Oguz believes the Tyrone champions will go into the decider with a tough edge, honed and sharpened by the battles they have fought and won this year.
“They have great experience in this competition, they have a few titles, an All-Ireland as well.
“They know what to do in this competition, they have the experience.
“But in Tyrone we’re battle-hardened the whole way through. It’s not easy to get out of Tyrone.
“Although we don’t have the experience in Ulster, we’ll take what we have learned through Tyrone and through the last three games in Ulster, and hopefully we can put something together on the day.”
Kilcoo’s demolition of Scotstown on Saturday evening probably didn’t resonate with an Errigal Ciaran squad busy with final preparations for their own semi-final meeting with the Armagh champions a day later.
But this week they’ll absorb the vital information that will leave them in no doubt about the enormity of the task they face on December 8.
“We don’t look too far ahead, we just look towards the next game, but we’ll get the work done over the next two weeks.
“It’s something to look forward to, and history to be made by ourselves.
“Clann Eireann pushed us all the way, and even that last shot, we were very lucky to be still in it, that it didn’t go to extra-time.
“But we’ll take the learning from it, and we have two weeks now to prepare for Kilcoo.”
The Canavan brothers shattered Clann Eireann’s provincial dream at Pairc Esler, Darragh causing panic and mayhem up front, Ruairi pinging over nine points, including a glorious stoppage time winner.
“He hit some massive scores, fair play to him. He never stops in there, he’s always looking to get on the end of things and it went really well for him today.
“The two lads are great up in the forward line, but we need the hard work, and even Darragh in that last five, ten minutes, he got a massive block on a shot.
“We’re a whole team, and both lads are also putting in the work back in defence. We’re very lucky to have them.”
Twenty two years after the club’s last Ulster title triumph, Errigal are ready to go again, a new generation with a dream to write their own history.
“I missed that history, we’re in a generation that doesn’t quite remember 2002, we’ve been told all about it, but we’re here to make our own history, and that’s hopefully what we’ll do,” said Oguz.
