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Pat's keeper Barry Murphy. NPHO/Lorraine O'Sullivan
Ford FAI Cup

Sleepless night ahead for Saints stopper Murphy

The St Patrick’s Athletic goalkeeper admits he will be tossing and turning with thoughts of the Ford FAI Cup final.

BARRY MURPHY HAS always had trouble getting shut-eye the night before a big game but he will find it particularly difficult this Saturday.

The St Patrick’s Athletic goalkeeper is set to start between the posts at the Aviva Stadium as the Saints take on Derry City in Ford FAI Cup final on Sunday with both sides looking to clinch their first trophy of 2012.

And speaking to TheScore on Monday, the 27-year-old spoke of his problems with sleeping: “I don’t know how much sleep I’ll get before, I don’t really sleep too well before games. Obviously, there’ll be a bit of excitement before it, but we go out the next day and have to do well.

“It’s just the way I’ve been since I was a kid. Your mind is racing the day before a game, it’s even worse the night after a game. It goes with the adrenaline.

I’m well used to it. We all have our own little routines and it will be nice to go in and do that in the hotel and go away to our own little spaces, away from the other people and do the rituals you usually do before a match.

“Hopefully, we’ll have something to celebrate; it might make it a bit easier on Sunday to sleep after the game.”

It is 51 years since Pat’s last lifted the cup and having only met Derry two weeks ago, a game that ended 2-1 to the home side at the Brandywell, Liam Buckley’s side are well aware of the task facing them to try bring the drought to an end.

“I think it’s going to make for a cracking final,” Murphy said. “There’s two teams that are going to go at eachother. I don’t think anybody’s going to be sitting back and hoping something happens. There are two teams who play.

“At the Brandywell last week, they came right at us and went 2-0 fairly quickly. It took us a while to get into our stride, but I think once we did, it was end-to-end, good flowing football. It was pleasing on the eye for everyone that was there and hopefully it will be the same on Sunday.

“But I wouldn’t care if it was a boring 0-0 and went to penalties or we won it in the last minute, as long as we win it.

All we keep hearing from them (fans) is ’51 years, 51 years.’ But that’s a burden that fans have. As players, I think we’re only here for nine months and things like that so there isn’t much of a burden on us.

“We just want to go out and perform and bring the cup home for them. It’s something they deserve, they’re supporters that have been all of Europe and you hear them around the country. We want to do something well for them.”

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‘The 2008 final was heartbreaking. Hopefully this one doesn’t go to penalties’ – Ger Doherty