Murphy says criticism fuelled Donegal desire

Donegal captain Michael Murphy indicated some of the harsh words about the team following last season motivated them yesterday.

The 2012 All-Ireland champions’ summer hit a height with an Ulster quarter-final win over Tyrone only to decline with defeats to Monaghan in the provincial final and a trouncing by Mayo in the All-Ireland quarter-final.

“We have fierce belief in what we can do and what we can try and achieve as a team with each game we play,” stated Murphy. “That never really changed. Maybe watching us people thought it had changed but we keep going at it every chance we get.

“There was a lot made of us beating Tyrone last year, about one game making a summer. One game doesn’t make your summer and we will learn a hell of a lot from that.

“Last year there was a build-up to the game and that was our last performance. We got over Down after that and that was the height of it. We have to learn from that. We have to answer those questions again in the semi-final.”

The manner in which Donegal hit Derry for 1-5 without reply in the first 13 minutes of the second half appeared a throwback to the team at their best in ’12.

However, Murphy disagreed: “I don’t think it was exactly like 2012, we didn’t plan to play like 2012 or 2011 or 2013. It is 2014 and we play it as it is and if it looks like some other year then so be it.

“We needed to go in at the start of the second-half and give it plenty; a lot of players put up their hand. Ryan McHugh came up with ball, Leo McLoone coming through for a goal and then there was the added bonus of getting lads off the bench like Martin McElhiney and Neil Gallagher.

“Not only did they bring energy, but they brought great football intelligence and they really got their hands on the ball when we needed them.”

Murphy was high in praise for his team-mate Karl Lacey who among others on the Donegal team turned in an excellent display.

“Karl was phenomenal. The amount of work that he has put in, he put it in last year and he just could not get over the line in terms of game-time. He is a vital, vital cog for us, he is travelling up and down from Limerick and he is rarely misses a training session.”