Blake Murphy inspires St Vincent's to win 'most important game' in club's history
INSPIRATIONAL: Blake Murphy kicks a point from play for St Vincent's in the Cork IAFC relegation play-off. Picture: Larry Cummins
John Paul Murphy was on the field in 2006 when St Vincent’s made the breakthrough, winning the inaugural Premier Intermediate title in a second replay against Glanmire.
He was there again in 2012 when they became the first club to regain the trophy.
But an Intermediate A relegation play-off victory over Northside neighbours Na Piarsaigh trumped the lot for the man who now dons the manager’s bib.
“It means everything. Today was the most important game in our club's history,” declared Murphy.
“Finals, whatever we won, I don't care, that was the most important game I was ever involved in anyway.”
Back in ’06, he was pictured swinging his six-year-old son Blake around in his left arm with an expression of joyous celebration. In 2024, it was Blake on the field firing all but one point of Vincent’s winning total.
“We just about hung in there,” said Blake. “We didn't score in the second half but in a relegation game, all that matters is you get over the line.
“We won't be thinking about that when we're training for next year. There’s a lot more in this group.”
His pair of opportunistic goals from shots dropped short had Vincent’s off to the perfect start and they led 2-5 to 0-3 at midway.
It all turned on Wayne Long’s sending-off in the 35th minute. Vincent’s retreated, having lost their kick-out option. Piarsaigh smelled blood, if only they had enough football to capitalise on their moment of opportunity.
By the 46th minute, they were just two points adrift but the Fair Hill crew failed to score their next point until stoppage time. Once Keith Buckley’s last-gasp free tailed wide, Vincent’s breathed a major sigh of relief.
“How do you win a football game without scoring in the second half?” wondered John Paul.
“We got out of jail big time. If the last-minute free went over the bar, in extra-time, who knows?”
They will aspire for knockout football next year after the hard-luck stories of 2024.
Piarsaigh will aim to end the freefall at Premier Junior level. While their focus has been on stabilising their hurlers, the football side of the house has suffered consecutive relegations in both league and championship for the past two years.
“It's incredibly hard to do both,” said manager Colin O’Sullivan, who also acts as club chairman. “I know some clubs can do it but other clubs can't.
“If we were to play dual with 14, 15, guys, it's tough going physically, and it's tough going mentally as well.
“At the same time, us as a club, we love football, and we will come back in football again. We have good young guys coming through.
“But for us, in the last 12 months and longer, we had to stabilise what was happening to us in hurling. We were falling down through the grades again. We've done that but we will come back again. And we'll come back fairly strong.
“It's a knock, a big knock, but it's one that we can recover from, and I think we will.”
They drafted in a handful of hurlers for this escape mission. Eight would feature before the end, each leaving their imprint on the game.
But they conceded 1-1 inside 60 seconds and Murphy blasted his second into an empty net by the 12th minute.
They trailed by nine but the red card and Shane Forde’s 45th-minute goal made for a tense finish.
“Today just showed that we didn't have enough football done and didn't take our chances,” said O’Sullivan.
“But in terms of effort and honour and fighting for the jersey, absolutely, that was very clear. That was out there.”
: B Murphy (2-4, 0-1 free); B Long (0-1).
S Forde (1-1); K Moynihan, C Hogan, C Clancy, S Downey, M Sheehan, K Forde (0-1 each).
D Clarke; J Price, G McCarthy, C Desmond; K Sorensen, Anthony O’Callaghan, K Murphy; W Long, L Callanan; R Fielding, B Long, C O’Neill; M O’Leary, B Murphy, B Hornibrook.
Aidan O’Callaghan for McCarthy (h-t, inj), P O’Sullivan for Fielding (40), A O’Donoghue for B Long (43), S Hannigan for Sorensen (60), B Long for O’Neill (60+3).
A O’Sullivan; Patrick Murphy, C Long, G Joyce; D Spillane, E Sheehan, SP Cooke; K Moynihan, A Burke; E Fitzgerald, C Hogan, C Clancy; S Downey, S Forde, M Sheehan.
K Buckley for Burke (15), P Guest for Fitzgerald (27), G Healy for Clancy (h-t), R O’Sullivan for Sheehan (43), K Forde for Downey (60).
J Ryan (Macroom).
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