A late trio of points from Ben McDonnell helped Errigal Ciaran to a 0-12 0-10 victory over St Eunan's of Donegal in the first round of the Ulster club championship on Saturday evening.
It was a quick turn-around for the Tyrone team having won the county championship last Friday but despite a slow start, they finished strongly to advance to the next round.
Star men Ruairi and Darragh Canavan were marked tightly throughout and with Shaun Patton saving a Peter Harte penalty, it looked like things were going the way of a Shane O'Donnell inspired St Eunan's.
But McDonnell delivered when the need was greatest with three late points, before Tommy Canavan rounded off the scoring for Enda McGinley's team.
Speaking to RTÉ afterwards, McGinley said he could sense a flatness in his team after their recent county championship heroics.
Four from play - Shane O'Donnell. Sportsfile.
"It's championship football, it's about staying alive and we did that just about," said McGinley.
"The boys, you could see a tiredness in them from the recent county final.
"You're always hoping and training felt good during the week but it felt a wee bit flat. St Eunan's put it up to us massively, but I'm just glad the lads came up with it in the end."
McGinley says that while Ulster club football does feel like 'a bit of a bonus,' they want to make it count given how hard it is to get out of Tyrone.
"For us as a team, the main goal of the year is the Tyrone championship. Everything else above that does feel like a bit of a bonus, you know if you get beat, you've still had a solid year if you come out of it with a Tyrone championship."
"The pressure comes with the reality that, going by records, it's highly unlikely that we'll come out of Tyrone next year so you have to make it count."
Peter Harte - penalty saved by Shaun Patton. Sportsfile.
Next up for Errigal Ciaran is a clash with Antrim champs Cargin. McGinley's wife is a Cargin woman and he previously managed the Antrim footballers, adding another element of intrigue to the clash.
"It'll be no easier next week against Cargin," he said.
"My poor children and my wife are long suffering at this stage. I sit at a laptop way more than is healthy, I've analysed more games this year, from the RTÉ side of things as well, than I'd probably ever need to," he said.
"The Ulster club championship is really special, it's brilliant to be a part of it and brilliant to be still alive.
"The reality of it is we're playing Cargin next week and my wife is a good Cargin woman so I'll need to go in and secure the laptop, hide it away for the week, there's going to be radio silence in our house," he laughed.
