Eoin Murchan: Hard for Conor Lane to count steps on All-Ireland final goal

Dublin defender Eoin Murchan says it would have been difficult for referee Conor Lane to know if he took too many steps in scoring his famous goal in last September’s All-Ireland final replay win over Kerry.

Coming less than 10 seconds after the second-half restart, it set Jim Gavin’s side on their way to a historic five-in-a-row. The Na Fianna player reckons too much significance has been placed on the goal.

“I actually haven't watched it back since we started back as a group,” admits Murchan.

“I would have seen it a couple of times a couple of days after the All-Ireland but it's not something I've gone back to regularly.

“Obviously, the goal is a goal and it makes a bit of a difference, but I find it strange that the goal gets so much focus because there was so much else that happened and so much else that was as important that happened in the game.

“But, no, never, I've never gone back to count it. I do know there's a bit of debate around it. To be honest, if you put yourself in the position of that referee (Lane), it's going to be hard to know what's going on at all, in fairness.”

Murchan, 24, confirmed the attack was rehearsed for another player to take the shot but it had been his intention to dart forward after realising the amount of space Kerry were affording him in the first half.

“We do have moves for a lot of different scenarios in games. I was aware of one, but I'm not sure whether that was it or whether it was a part of it. I certainly wasn't supposed to be a part of it.

"There was a move but it definitely didn't involve me.

“I had noticed in the first half that I'd found myself in a lot of space, consistently in acres and acres of space. As we were coming out of the tunnel I had a word with Johnny (Cooper) and just said, 'Look, at some point I'm going to have a go'.

“To be honest, I wasn't expecting it to happen. I kind of got dragged in towards the centre and was just lucky enough that so many things went right and so many went wrong in terms of both our midfielders ran into each other essentially, which caused the ball to be knocked down in front of me.

"While there may have been a set move there, I'm not quite sure that if we had done that move things would have worked out the same.”

While his inter-county career has been put on hold by the lockdown, Murchan is keen to ensure that moment doesn’t define him.

“I'm still quite young. This will be my fourth championship and I would hope I have a lot more ahead of me and would be able to impact in more ways than one singular incident."

The GAA have asked counties to “suspend all inter-county training until further notice” but the Dublin senior footballers, like so many other groups, have maintained preparations.

“We've a brilliant S&C team, and medical team with Dublin,” says Murchan.

“They've laid out guidelines or a framework for us, and we try and work within that. Outside of that, it's up to the individual. We just try and work on what we can.

“For me, I'm just trying to get out, work on my skills a little bit, kick a ball against the wall, work on my hand-eye stuff. But there's not a huge amount you can do.

"I'm just trying to keep it as simple as possible."

• Dublin GAA sponsors AIG Insurance, their charity partner Aoibheann’s Pink Tie and Eoin Murchan have teamed up to send personalised video messages to children and their families battling cancer throughout Ireland.
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