First it was Ruairi Canavan, then it was Ben McDonnell. Two glorious chances to win the game passed Errigal Ciaran by before Micheál Burns looked to have kicked Dr Crokes into the All-Ireland Club SFC final.
Yet, just as he had done in the Ulster final against Kilcoo, Peter Óg McCartan was Errigal’s savour with a stunning effort to salvage extra-time. The rest, as they say, is history, and the Dunmoyle men face Cuala in Sunday’s decider at Croke Park.
That game will bring to an end a remarkable Championship odyssey for Enda McGinley’s men and McDonnell said when their season is over, they’ll be indebted to the heroics of their wing-back.
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“I was saying to a few of the other boys that we’ll owe Peter Óg (McCartan) a few pints when this is all over. He has dug us out once again,” said McDonnell.
“I think we all joked after the Ulster final that we wouldn’t trust him to do it again, but he has!
“I was certainly thankful anyway because I’d missed the one before it. I’ll definitely owe him a few pints anyway!
“We are the first Tyrone senior team to reach the final, the first time our club have got here. We’ve lost two semi-finals and we lost both times to a Munster team.
“We knew what it would be like coming down here to play the Munster champions – they’ve a lot of county experience in their ranks as well. It is great history for Tyrone, great history for Errigal.
“You can see looking around the pitch what it means to our club. We aren’t letting the occasion get to us too much. It is a new occasion for the team and we are just taking every step as it comes. Every game is a bonus game and another we have to win.”
While McCartan kicked the equaliser to force extra-time, it was a classy goal from midfielder Joe Oguz that untimely put the game behind doubt.
However, the performance of Ruairi and Darragh Canavan was truly special as the siblings kicked 1-13 between them.
“I think it is good when you come to play teams like the Kerry champions – they back themselves,” said McDonnell.
“Gavin White is one of the best man-markers in the game and they backed themselves to go toe-to-toe.
“It was maybe less defensive and was better to watch. You get to express yourself more and those boys were able to do that today. They were able to express themselves and show what they are capable of.”
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