WITH THE CLOCK on 75 minutes and Donegal a point down, their captain and leader Michael Murphy stepped up to take an all-important free-kick into the Canal End.
Having kicked brilliantly from the ground already, he opted to take this one from his hands. Cool as a breeze, the Glenswilly man stole a few yards and cooly nailed the late, late free to ensure a 1-20 a-piece draw with Kerry.
“Aye, it was just in the vicinity and felt I’d take it out of the hands,” he said afterwards, just before boarding the Donegal bus in the bowels of the Hogan stand when asked for his thinking around that.
“Just get it over the bar.”
Plain and simple, that’s what he did.
You must have been relieved when you did it so?
“You’re damn right,” Murphy grinned. “I missed one in the first half from a very similar scenario, so yeah, it was just good to have done it, it would have been disappointing to come out with nothing from the game.”
That, it would have been. It was an absolute ding-dong Super 8s battle in Croke Park, one which probably neither side deserved to lose. End to end football, a championship clash as tight as they come and no matter what, Donegal and Kerry could not be separated.
Murphy contributed a handsome 1-7 himself while Ryan McHugh was also outstanding for the Tír Chonaill outfit but it’s a measure of the player, and man, Murphy is that the overriding feeling afterwards wasn’t exactly joy afterwards.
“We’re disappointed in a way,” he said. “We had the lead, with a minute to go we were one up. Kerry are Kerry, in the way the game was ebbing and flowing.
“They came back and got the two points, and in the end we were happy to get the draw. But it doesn’t leave us much further either. We still have to go to Castlebar and win the game.
“But yeah, I suppose a point up with a minute to go, we would have wanted to close the game out. But not to be. It is what it is. Thanks be to God we pushed on, got the draw. It just keeps morale and everything high.”
It really was a second half for the ages, a titanic battle where momentum — and the lead — shifted back and forth again and again in a mesmerising match that was level 15 times throughout.
Declan Bonner’s men went in a point down at half time, but that only spurred Murphy and his troops on. He felt there was more in them — and thought the same as the final whistle sounded, he admits.
“We defended just so-so. I thought up front we weren’t really clicking until towards the end.”
Moments into the second period however, Murphy inspired that click like the true leader he is with back-to-back monster frees under pressure. But again, it’s what wasn’t done earlier on he focuses on.
“Aye, there were a few at that time,” he nods when that particular pair of frees are mentioned. “I had missed a bad one in the first half, a very, very poor one, so it was good to do.
“But everybody chipped in. Oisin Gallen came in off the bench and got a couple of huge scores for us, we know it’s in him. We’re so delighted with him at the minute.
“Ryan McHugh was absolutely phenomenal and Paddy McBrearty was looking sharp, Jamie [Brennan] pushing on too, Michael Langan kicked a couple of big scores for us.
“We need everybody chipping in, that’s what you need, and everybody put their best foot forward.”
The Kingdom’s 44th-minute goal was “disappointing,” and while his thoughts for his penalty in the 53rd minute were “just to try and hopefully hit the back of the net,” 29-year-old Murphy was encouraged his side were really finding their form at the same time.
More about the team than him.
“It was a good kick to get but like, whether we got the penalty or not at that stage we were starting to play well and that was more important.
“Coming down the stretch, we were getting stronger, and stronger, and stronger. It was just that three-minute period where Kerry got the back-to-back scores to go one up, that was the disappointing part.
“But apart from that there, we were stronger coming down the straight.
He added: “That’s the form of the Super 8s. It’s game on game. It’s great to be a part of it, and it was a great game to be a part of.”
There was ice in his veins as he took that last-gasp pressure free, and ice on his person afterwards with a pack strapped firmly to his knee; but Murphy assured he was fine and not a concern on Bonner’s growing injury list.
With key defenders Eoghan Bán Gallagher, Neil McGee and Paddy McHugh all sidelined, Murphy was pleased with his “tight-knit group” and the players who were thrown in at the deep end as replacements.
Now they’re in a situation where it’s winner takes all at McHale Park in two weeks’ time.
“It leaves us in a scenario now that we’re going to Castlebar and we need a win against a very strong Mayo side in their own back yard,” he continued.
“The camaraderie and everything is great within the group, we’re a very, very tight unit and we’re looking forward to getting up the road, getting recovered and getting a few bodies back which I think we will have going to Castlebar.
“We know the venue down there, we played in it before in a must-win game at the back end of the National League a couple of years ago, so it’s going to be a huge game with everything on the line.”
One person who’ll be under the spotlight quite a lot in the run-up to the Group 1 showdown is Stephen Rochford. James Horan’s predecessor this time around is now in the Donegal backroom team.
Could that be an advantage?
“Listen, you use any edge you can,” Murphy concludes.
“Stephen has been an absolutely huge cog in the whole wheel, along with Gary [Boyle] and Declan and everybody who is there, they’re challenging every single one of us and we’ll be getting back to be challenged again over the next couple of weeks.
“As I said, whatever edge you can, you will use, but both teams know each other fairly well and it’s going to come down to this game and whoever wants it most.
“So that’s the way it’s going to be.”
That it absolutely is.
The42 is on Instagram! Tap the button below on your phone to follow us!
It’s always the caddies fault.
@Hank: at least he got his FedEx bonus at the end of last year. JPs got loads of dough now, so up to him if he wants another golfer, I don’t think he’ll struggle to find one. He’s had a great run.
@Hank: Losers keep on losing.
Let’s see:
Two managers
Fiancée
Two close family members
Caddie
On the road handler
have all either been fired or given the silent treatment at one point or another.
Rory, shall I show you the mirror.
@The IMF are here: no, you keep the mirror for yourself to remind you of all that you have achieved.
@Brian Carroll: ha, smug laugh, good one Mr. Carroll.
@Brian Carroll: Bitter much ?
Wondering will Rory get the wife on the bag now… Sure she’ll have to pay her way somehow, this way she can control everything!
@Brown Boots: she gets 50% of his money for sitting at home, why carry his bag and get only 10% if he wins, anyway, there’s only one bag she should be going near.
@The don: your right , the grocery bag. Your spot on.
Anthony nash is looking for someone to mind his bag of sliothars, jp would be the man for the job.
The brit McIlroy is on the slide. Great to see.
@John Weldon: oh John you’re so witty and up to date with things! Speaking of brits, how’s that celtic time you follow! FFS
@Brown Boots: *team
@John Weldon: poor taste
@John Weldon: Small minded & bitter little post from a small minded & bitter little man.
Mcllory is having a poor season by his high standards, hasn’t really challenged in any of the big tournaments.
The caddie plays a part in team Rory and having dispensed with JP as caddie perhaps Rory needs to have a look at himself as well.
Have off course activities distracted from his game, has he prepared and practiced enough, has his build up to majors championships been right.
All this needs to be looked at
@Diarmuid: maybe you could be his caddie you seem to know it all
@Jamie: ha
@Jamie: read it again Jamie. I just posed the questions. Didn’t answer them.
@Jamie: Is there not a Man.Utd.,thread that you should be waffling on?
@Diarmuid: he’s been injured for half of it. He’s only played six tournaments so hardly ideal for good preperation. He’s had to change clubs aswel because nike have stopped making them. Don’t really like mcilroy but all that in the space of half a year would make any golfer struggle
@Jamie: Its Mcilroy that swings the clubs…not the caddie, Very easy to blame somebody else, Look at westwood.. he has one of the best caddies in the game but cant win a tournament, Too many good young golfers on the scene.. example Jordan Speith who is a pleasure to watch ,,,,, great entertainment, Mcilroy dosent have what it takes…in my books he’s a has been
It’s rare for a caddie to last as long as JP has. C’est la vie.
@ted hagan: yeah he got a good run
It doesn’t matter how much money JP made because he was out there with Rory plotting the way around for Rory it’s a team relationship between caddie and player.
Rory drank the coolaid and believed the hype about himself so much that his ego can’t accept that his glory days are over! He had a few brilliant years and fair play to him. His time has gone, he is not nor will he ever be a force to be reckoned with. Getting rid of JP is just another way for him to avoid the truth.
@Kyserkelly: yes and no caddie ever known can help a player hit a wedge shot close to the hole. All this Trump sacking behaviour is just a cover for not being able to do the job.
@Kyserkelly: His glory days are over at 28yrs of age?! You’re having a laugh or just completely irrational.
In other news – Conor McGregor has fired his bag carrier too.
Rory is some man to stay in the newspaper headlines, its just one drama after another these days. Praises the caddy last week…. fires him this
@Sean Lawlor:
Where did it say Rory fired him
@Jack Dermody: I very much doubt that JP left his million dollar job by himself jack……
Rory was disappointed with JP’s wedding present – a tea set !
@seagul1: tee set?
About time
@Aidan O: why?
Hilarious to read all the comments second guessing one of the greatest golfers in the world.
@Meekus: correct. It’s his career his decision. Typical rubbish on this site. . Join the band wagon when a man is up, kick him when he’s down.
I’m surprised that his coach is still with him..
Wouldn’t blame Rory or jp. I believe Rory now needs a stronger personality on the bag
Have to blame someone Rory, blame yourself
He should get Bones on the bag !!
@Alan Wiley: no he won’t, Bones wouldn’t take it anyway, he’s on TV money now, easier money to be had there. Plus, Bones is not they caddy for Rory.
@Alan Wiley:
Bones doesn’t have cussin’ in his box of psychological tools for getting his man to stay focused during heat of battle, so no good to Rors.
JP is a top man, like Fluff, Bones and all the rest, so he’ll be back, probably with Rors.
Sounds like JP had enough.
Maybe good for JP.He’ll surely not miss the whining.
I sat in a pub during the Open and I asked every man looking at the golf and asked them who they wanted to win and the answer wad the same. “Anybody but that shit”.
@Brendan Keegan: talking to yourself in a pub. And then posting about it doesn’t not make it any better. Also, remind me never to go to the same pub you go to if that’s what you do, go about asking childish questions!
Why doesn’t he just carry the clubs himself, is he unable or something?
Comment on sky golf at open wks when McElroy was struggling that Bones was available by Dougherty
JP is better off away from that Grumpy auld Bolli….
caddies & managers get sacked never the players in golf and football
Mcllroy is a clown. Gym monkey started believing his own hype. Quit posting videos of weight lifting and try hit a few golf balls. Very unpopular quasi Irishman. Give me Harrington, Lowry any day.” If you can’t hit a 60 yard fairway…..”. Hilarious.
@Rusty Nuts: ‘try and hit a few golf balls!!’ Hilarious!! Have you ever seen Rory hit a golf ball? He’s pretty handy! 4 Majors @ 28yrs of age. Not bad for a ‘clown’.
Never liked the Man
He is worse than the Donald if he doesn’t get his way
Love the Rory bashing here … The man is from Northern Ireland .. dont ever remember him saying he was from anywhere else or carry another flag on his shoulder only the flag of his country.. historically unfortunate as it is we are different countries so why should he declare his undying love for us when a lot of people abused the s#$t out of him for not immediately declaring for ireland for the olympics … We down here are fairly fast to slate the English for claiming Irish people as British are we not doing the same here. The man has 4 majors won the fed ex and european order of merit in the same year and has god knows how many other titles before 28 every golfer has a lull in their careers and anyone that thinks hes finished is talkin through their arses.
@Michael McGrath: Talkin through their arses like yourself, You obviously know absolutely nothng about golf. Too many good players on the scene, Mcilroy a has been
Be interesting to see how this pans out.
@Emmet Dillane: my guess is he’ll get a new cady. 100% sure.
@Rehabmeerkat:
Cutting edge Rehab.
He’s making more changes than Trump…
Steve Williams waiting for a phone call.How Rory stuck with that buffoon for so long is beyond me .
There’s only one fella he should get rid of and it’s his sports manager. It all points to poor management but O’Flaherty obviously has his ear.
The caddie and the golfer always know when the time is up .JP knocked a great 9 years out of it and made a lot of money and he is thankful and hopefully he will pick up another good bag he is a very experienced caddie so should have no problem . As for Rory he has a new caddie picked already I bet .
Who cares
The most unpopular Irish (allegedly) golfer ever. Why? Because he is a little sh#t.