“He’s just incredible” - Jack Gallagher on Michael Murphy

Glenswilly, thanks to a Michael Murphy Masterclass, got their third win of the Donegal Senior Championship on Saturday in Tirconaill Park, Donegal Town, coming from behind to edge a very good game by two points.

Michael Murphy scored 1-5 and was involved in just about everything for the winners, something that was acknowledged by their young captain and centre half-back, Jack Gallagher.

“It’s easy for us out the pitch. He makes a bad ball look good.  It’s a breath of fresh air (to be playing alongside him). I don’t know how long I have left with him but I will try and make the most of it now. He’s just incredible.”

Glenswilly had Murphy to thank for getting them out of a hole as Four Masters went seven up inside a minute of the second half when Seanán Carr fired home a second goal and a 2-6 to 1-2 lead.

“Aye, we came out after half-time and really wanted to start strong with the wind and the next thing, I think it was the first play, Seanán Carr got in again and got a goal.  In fairness to the boys, they dug deep and got a few points in a row and the belief came back in.”

Murphy replied with three points inside three minutes and Gallagher was not surprised. “That’s Murphy,” says Gallagher. “Everybody dug deep and in the conditions we were very happy to get over the line in the end up.”

But a big turning point came minutes later when Four Masters were awarded a penalty but Glenswilly were not punished as Seanán Carr’s spot kick was saved.

“Listen, I was well out the pitch and I don’t know what the penalty was for. I suppose we got a penalty in the first half that was lucky enough as well. But in fairness to Savvy (Kealan McFadden), he’s not a big man, but he got down well and saved it, thank God.

“And that really kicked us on then, that penalty save.

“Listen, Murphy, even for the county, when you need a man to step up, he always does it. Even when he was struggling there with injuries, he still manages to step up and be there when you need him in that crunch time of the game.”

The deciding score, the second Glenswilly goal, also  had Murphy’s imprint on it as it was his free that was not cleared and Jake Kelly was in the right place at the right time.

“Wee Jake (Kelly) got up to finish it. Funny, the other corner-back, Jamie McCauley, was out the field and he shouts, ‘where’s Jake’. We said ‘he must be off’ and the next thing he slapper her into the net. I was delighted. Thankfully, he was there.”

The win means that Glenswilly are at the top of the league table with three wins from their first three games and Gallagher feels they have been tested in all three games.

“We’re just glad to get the wins, three wins from three. We’re taking it game at a time and I suppose it will be interesting now to see who we get in the last game. It will be nice to get a break next weekend.

“All  the games were tight. Cloughaneely gave us a big scare last week and that maybe helped us today. We knew we had to be on guard anyway, but that just reassured it. Four Masters have been the in-form team this year; they cruised Division 2 and then beating Gaoth Dobhair, a top four team; it hasn’t been done much in the last few years.

“Then the win by Gaoth Dobhair against St Eunan’s today, it just shows there’s not much in it. Four Masters are an up and coming team and you could see today, they have serious speedy young players,” said Gallagher.