Rory Gallagher says Michael Murphy ‘targeted’

Well, did anyone expect anything else?

Tyrone might’ve fallen through the trapdoor of relegation and, before yesterday, had lost three on the bounce to Donegal in the Ulster SFC, which made them also-rans in many people’s eyes.

Ultimately, those who predicted a narrow Donegal win in a bruising encounter in Ballybofey were indeed correct. But it was a contest that came down to the narrowest of margins. Tyrone were 1-13 to 1-10 down approaching the bitter end, with Michael Murphy’s three perfectly placed balls ultimately the difference between the bordering counties.

For Tyrone, three points would’ve been enough. As it was Mickey Harte’s team almost scored three goals — or a goal on three occasions if you prefer. Colm Cavanagh slapped onto the Donegal crossbar, Peter Harte watched on as Paul Durcan clutched his effort away and then Mattie Donnelly fizzed a shot inches wide of the post. Inches.

“That is what we expected it to be,” Rory Gallagher said afterwards, with the Donegal manager a concoction of relief and celebration with his first win in charge having been Jim McGuinness’s assistant from 2011 till 2013.

“Nobody for one minute thought it was going to be any different. There was going to be very little between the teams and that is the way it turned out. I wouldn’t say it was any more important that the previous three years. None of us want to lose. The expectancy is there now with the success and the rivalry against Tyrone. But look, on a personal level, no more than three years ago, I wanted to win.”

Ciaran Whelan: MIchael Murphy is one of the most influential players in GAA, did well to keep his cool #SundayGame pic.twitter.com/ZGQP0Qf31I

— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) May 17, 2015

The contest was one of ebbs and flows. Donegal bossed the early exchanges and Darren McCurry’s goal for Tyrone, which was essentially against the run of play, was the visitors’ only score in the first 19 minutes. By that stage Donegal had knocked over half-a-dozen points.

Tyrone finished the half impressively, coming from three down to lead prior to Martin McElhinney’s goal and a point from Colm McFadden giving Gallagher’s team a slender 1-8 to 1-6 advantage at half-time. If things were tight on the scoreboard, it was even more so at the mouth of the MacCumhaill Park tunnel with players and mentors all holding their ground in an unsavoury stand-off.

“It was good to go in ahead at half-time and it looked as if we had the momentum but we probably didn’t kick on then in the second half and had to grind it out again,” Gallagher added. We were edging it but that is the nature of us and Tyrone. They get a few scores, we get a few scores. But I was delighted with the response.”

Tyrone were soon level at 1-8 apiece, 1-10 each and then 1-11 to 1-11 but it was all down to Murphy, who his manager claimed might’ve been offered a little more protection from the increasingly occupied referee Joe McQuillan, who sent off both Neil Gallagher and Sean Cavanagh.

“I felt probably that while the officials did a good job that Michael was targeted,” Gallagher added. “There is no doubt about that. But look, that is the way it is. It is up to other people to deal with it. The officials had a great game but Michael comes in for a lot of attention off the ball which isn’t allowed.”

The interval schemozzle, the nitpicks and the defensive structures are ingrained into the psyche of the Ulster SFC now. But so too are the rivalries, the intense competition and the standing of ground. Did you really expect anything else? Tyrone look well-equipped for the qualifiers, while Gallagher’s side must continue on their provincial escapade with another daunting fixture — away to Armagh in the last eight, or the first round proper.

“We have no choice. We are out now in four weeks time,” Gallagher said of the route that lies ahead.. “Coming in we felt well prepared and we also felt that it would be a nightmare situation to be out of the Ulster championship before it even started. So we are delighted.”