Murphy insists Ulster rivals are Donegal’s sole focus

Michael Murphy might have been the man who lifted Sam Maguire last September, but the Donegal captain has eyes for only Tyrone and the Ulster championship this Sunday.

Prior to his inter-county debut as a 17-year-old in the 2007 championship season, Murphy recalls scouring the northern province as a supporter, through the years of wilderness. He even left St Tiernach’s Park in Clones with tears in his eyes in 1998 after Joe Brolly’s last minute goal stole the Anglo-Celt Cup for Derry. It was just one of a catalogue of shortcomings.

Like the Donegal manager, Jim McGuinness, Donegal’s players have had just one day circled on their calendar. It’s been claimed Donegal may be putting all their eggs in one basket but it’s not a new policy for McGuinness’s panel.

“Last year all the talk from the first day we started back was May 20 and Cavan, the year before it was May 15 and Antrim,” said Murphy. “The next championship game, no matter who it’s against or when it is, is the most important. And this year it’s Tyrone on May 26. It’s a build-up we’re used to. We had the date in our head from the start of the year.

“The Ulster championship is massive and so hard to win. I’ve followed Donegal long enough to see how hard it was to come by. I followed good Donegal sides that came up short and you can see the calibre of the winners in recent years – the great Armagh and Tyrone teams. It’s our bread and butter.”

Between Brolly’s late winner and Donegal’s first Ulster title in 19 years back in 2011, Tyrone and Armagh held a duopoly on the province. Armagh may have slipped into the distance with the rickety wheels of transition in motion but Tyrone are still a force to be reckoned with.

Last season, in the Ulster semi-final it took an improvised Paul Durcan save with the foot to deny Martin Penrose what would’ve been an equalising goal in stoppage time. Twelve months beforehand, at the same stage, Donegal and Tyrone were tied in the last minute before Dermot Molloy scored a match-winning goal.

“You have to have respect for a team with five Ulster championships and three All-Ireland titles,” Murphy said of Tyrone. “They’re still here knocking on the door and have shown longevity to keep coming back with hunger.”

Only one team in the last two decades — Kerry in 2006 and 2007 — have managed to defend the All-Ireland title and even that came when there was a change in manager between Jack O’Connor and Pat O’Shea.

“The pressure is something you come to expect as All-Ireland champions,” Murphy added. “Teams certainly lift it when they play you. But you can’t look a game ahead of yourself.”