The deeper into Europe that Shamrock Rovers go this summer, the steeper the learning curve.
And as Lee Grace can testify to, teams need the wherewithal to absorb those lessons if they have designs on surviving and making the most of the experience.
Get through this Europa League third qualifying round against FK Shkupi and the Hoops will, at worst, be guaranteed group stage football in the Conference League.
They need no more motivation, even if Stephen Bradley insists they are not on a revenge mission after crashing out so tamely in the Conference playoffs last year.
“You can’t think or play like that in football as you don’t learn then,” said the Hoops boss yesterday.
“It’s about learning and moving on quickly, and making sure it doesn’t happen again.”
Mistakes in Europe will be punished in the blink of an eye, and while Rovers might get away with them at home, they have already paid the price in this company..
Take the Ludogorets game in Bulgaria a fortnight ago and a moment that centre-back Grace says just ‘shocks you into life’.
After steadying the ship in the second-half having feared the worst in the first, Shamrock Rovers were 2-0 down in injury-time and had something to cling to.
But instead of clearing a free-kick from deep in their own half, Grace played short and, with seconds to go, the Hoops got caught and Ludogorets scored a killer third.
Yes, the League of Ireland champions threw everything at their rivals in Tallaght a week ago and were deserving 2-1 winners in the second leg.
But the outlook had changed in that split second decision and Grace knows you can only ride your luck so many times.
It is why he is calling for a dominant home display tonight so that Rovers can travel to North Macedonia with something to protect rather than chase on Tuesday.
Reflecting on that moment in Bulgaria, Grace said yesterday: “It was naive of me - and the team - not to just kick it long. But it's something you learn from.
“For a few days after that I was kicking myself. Not just because I played the free but us in general as a team, someone had to say ‘kick it long’.
“I didn't know what was left. Hindsight is a great thing and looking back now, if I knew there was 30 seconds left I would have kicked it.
“If you do that in the league, nine times out of ten you probably get away with it. But Ludogorets turned it over and the ball was in the net within 20 seconds.
“In Europe, it shocks you into life because they punish you fairly quickly.”
But the more European games that Rovers play, the more street smarts they accrue in a short space of time.
Grace said: “We played Slovan Bratislava last year, another top side and they punished us over there (2-0) with silly mistakes.
“But back in Tallaght, we dominated the game again (winning 2-1).
“When we're going away in Europe we have to be more careful in what we're doing and cut out the silly mistakes because we fancy anyone in Tallaght.
“There are not too many teams who play us off the park in Tallaght, we put it up to most teams, so we have to make home advantage count tonight.”
Former army man Grace, 29, was a latecomer to full-time football having joined the Hoops in 2017 from Galway United.
And that is why group stage football this summer would mean so much for the decorated Tipperary man.
“You could probably say I’m playing catch-up, given I started so late,” he continued. “I don’t regret that decision, leaving the army. Probably the best decision I ever made.
“I enjoyed my time in the army, but I’ve definitely enjoyed my time here a lot more. I’ve won a lot of things and hopefully there’s a lot more to win.
“A few of the boys in the squad have played group stages with Dundalk and obviously Ronan Finn with Rovers in 2011.
“Them talking about it, it sounds unbelievable and when you’re in the European competitions, that’s your dream, to get there.
“You can’t lose focus on the teams in front of you, but looking further down the line if we do get there it would be a great experience and one I’d love to do.
“We have to take care of this tie first and then see what happens, but it would be unbelievable.”
Meanwhile, Chris McCann has been hailed as a claiming influence for the Hoops in Europe.
The former Burnley captain, 35, has had to be patient this season, featuring in just 11 league games for Shamrock Rovers.
But he has started all four European matches this season with Stephen Bradley playing him in central midfield alongside Gary O’Neill, rather than it being one or the other.
“Just in certain games, especially in Europe, you need that little bit more protection,” said Bradley.
“In these games it can be really hectic, a hundred miles an hour, and Chris brings that calmness you get when you’ve played at the level he has played at.
“Sometimes in these games you need someone just to make you play, for everyone to settle. Chris brings that to us.”
Defender Lee Grace said: “You could give Chris the ball in a phonebox and he wouldn’t lose it.
“As a defender you’re looking for midfielders. Gary and Chris are always showing for the ball and you can give it to them as they very rarely lose it.”
Rovers could fly directly to Derry or Belfast from Macedonia after next Tuesday’s Europa League second leg with FK Shkupi.
The Hoops face Derry City at the Brandywell for a league game on Friday week and Bradley said: “We still have to make a final call on that.
"We might come on Wednesday because we can't fly in on Tuesday straight after the game. There is a problem with not enough staff to take the plane in Dublin.
“We might stay over [in Skopje] and come back late Wednesday evening and just stay in Belfast or Derry.”
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