Dec 09,2024
Errigal Ciaran matchwinner Peter Og McCartan said they have "written their own history" after he kicked a dramatic late point to land a third-ever Ulster Senior Club Football title.
In a tense encounter with Kilcoo, McCartan produced a moment of class to kick from distance and seal a place in the All-Ireland semi-finals where they will meet Dr Crokes.
The Tyrone club went 22 years without an Ulster crown with the full-time whistle bringing jubiliant scenes.
"It has been 22 years. It's mad it took us that long to get back here, but we've written our own history here.
"Teams of the past. Everyone talks about Errigal with great pedigree and history. Now this team has finally shut up the critics and we've got over the line there and written our own history.
"We'll enjoy the next couple of weeks and we'll see where it goes from there. Obviously, once the celebration is over, we'll get the head down and we'll get back in it and learn semi-final to look forward to."
McCartan scored three points in the match but played down the skill of the all-important score at the end.
"I saw myself in space and I knew if the ball got to me that I was going to have a dig at it.
"Luckily, I caught it lovely and it went over. It's just pure luck, to be honest."
Goalscorer Joe Oguz was also inspired by those who had come before – as well as near misses in the past.
"This is just magical. The stories that you've heard in previous years of our Errigal teams winning Ulster. We can only make our own history today, but here this is so special and we'll cherish it forever.
"I'm not usually in that position to score a goal, but I'm just glad it came across and I'm glad I was able to get up to it and put it in."
Oguz was always confident his side would come good, despite the close nature of the match.
Their experience both in their county and the province stood to them, he felt.
"Every game that we've been through, through Tyrone, through Ulster, has been tight.
"But you just have to trust yourself. Whatever happens, happens. But we knew that coming down the stretch, whenever it is, we'd have enough just to get over the line.
"We had studied the way they like to play. They like to suck you in and then just swarm you defensively and put pressure on you.
"We knew we had to move the ball fast, move it through the hands, move them fast up the pitch, stretching them, pulling them, whatever it takes.
"Like I say, we're only living on the history of our club so far. But it's for the community here, like the young and the old.
"Errigal is about everybody and you can just see what it means to everybody here. Not just the players, but to those who are five, six and seven and those who are 77. It just means everything to everybody."
