DONEGAL CAPTAIN MICHAEL Murphy has rubbished suggestions that a gruelling training schedule or placing their focus on the All-Ireland series lead to their demise in last Sunday’s Ulster final against Monaghan.
Jim McGuinness’s team saw their provincial three-in-a-row ambitions thwarted by Monaghan, who were 6/1 outsiders before the game, in a dramatic result that has altered the complexion of this year’s Sam Maguire title race.
Rumours have circulated within Donegal that the team had undergone a punishing training session on the Tuesday night before the game and that their thoughts had drifted to an All-Ireland quarter-final assignment.
But Murphy insisted the sole reason for their defeat was that they collided with a superior Monaghan side.
“It was just an ordinary Tuesday night session last week that we’ve always done. When you get beat people make up things.
“Any time we come we train hard, we train collectively and we train good. It was the exact same way we prepared for every other game. People maybe put two and two together. It’s a fair assumption but the legs felt good, mentally we felt we were in a good place.
“Everybody’s looking for reasons as to why we didn’t perform. But Monaghan were just better in every facet of the game.”
The Donegal squad gathered on Monday evening for a key meeting as they sought to start their preparations for next Saturday’s Round 4 qualifier meeting with Laois in Carrick-on-Shannon.
“There was a collective positivity,” revealed Murphy. “Everybody was there. Everybody was down naturally from the game. Things were positive enough. The short turnaround now is something we’re looking forward to.
“I think any team that gets beaten in a game is mad to go out the next day to try to redeem themselves. Lets get on the bandwagon, let’s get at it again and put the best foot forward for Donegal.”
After the game the Donegal squad stayed on the pitch to watch the trophy presentation to Monaghan rather than retreat to the sanctuary of their dressing-room.
“That’s the thing you should always do,” stressed Murphy. “Man up to it straight away. We were on the other end the last couple of years being up there.
“It was fantastic for Monaghan and they are going into the All-Ireland series as very worthy Ulster champions so it is brilliant for them. You have to be gracious in defeat, as you are gracious when winning. It is something I have always been told, so it is something I will always do.”
Injuries
Murphy refused to apportion the blame for their defeat to the injuries that have affected key players like Mark McHugh, Karl Lacey and Neil Gallagher this season.
McHugh is a major doubt for the game against Laois after suffering concussion in the first-half last Sunday. And Murphy is hopeful that they can summon a performance in Carrick-on-Shannon – where Murphy struck a goal as a 17 year-old in his senior championship debut when Donegal beat Leitrim in the qualifiers in 2007 – after leaving their fans down in Clones.
“If you are winning games you want to take momentum, if you are beaten in games you want to take the hurt and the learning that comes out of it. Mark is a fantastic player. He’s a key part of the team and it’s not ideal. If we are without him there is no point lying about and sulking.
“Hopefully we can bring a better game and a better performance for the county and the supporters that we let down the last day.”
