Eoin Murchan: “Goal alone wouldn’t have won game”

Dublin scored 19 goals in last summer's SFC on their way to rewriting history with their five in-a-row All-Ireland final success: 19-172 in their nine SFC victories, to be precise.

Many were very memorable, most came after a combination of hard-graft and precision - but none came with greater timing than Eoin Murchan's immediately at the start of the second half of the All-Ireland SFC replay against Kerry.

In the drawn encounter Jack McCaffrey scored another of the great All-Ireland SFC final goals when Stephen Cluxton's kickout was spectacularly fetched by Brian Howard as Dublin's pin-point accuracy, interplay and hard-running married with precision opened up Kerry's defence.

McCaffrey wasn't on the pitch for the start of the second half for the replayed encounter, a half-time substitution (Diarmuid Connolly coming on) owing to injury.

He was seated with the subs so when his team-mate, fellow flying machine, Eoin Murchan, carved through the heart of the Kingdom's defence to score his first score for Dublin at senior level.

Recalling the goal at Tuesday's online press conference to make the announcement of AIG Insurance, proud sponsor of Dublin GAA, teaming up with Aoibheann’s Pink Tie and the Dublin senior football team, the Na Fianna clubman said: “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. I certainly wasn’t supposed to be a part of it anyway,” he added.

What a goal this was from Eoin Murchan- straight from the 2nd half throw-in

@TheSundayGamepic.twitter.com/6G9LIiCIvk

— Dublin GAA (@DubGAAOfficial) September 14, 2019

Maybe his fellow defensive speedster Jack McCaffrey might shed light on the matter some day?

“Actually scoring would have been totally alien to me in inter-county set-ups but it would have been something from under-13 up to minor and under-21s that I would have done at club level.

“My team was managed by my dad and Tom Gray (current Dublin U20 manager). Niall Cooper, Jonny’s brother, would have been involved in that set-up as well.

“We would have tried and tried that almost exact move from when I was 13 and, to be honest, it didn’t come off but I was fortunate enough that it did on this occasion.

“It wouldn’t have been something I would have been massively known for but at the same time having team-mates like that who make it so easy — and if you watch it back and see the movement of all the guys around me including the two midfielders and six forwards, without that movement it would never have happened.

“There would have been no path for me to the goal. The finish was fine and I’m happy with that but what’s more impressive is the movement, the smarts and the selflessness of the other guys on the pitch.

“Because that’s what you’re taught as a 12-year-old, 13-year-old — that if somebody is coming through the middle you get out of the way but it doesn’t always happen but it did on this occasion.”

Anyway it was strategy that could have been hatched on St Mobhi Road, the grounds of his club, Na Fianna.

“As we were coming out of the tunnel I had a word with Jonny (Cooper) and just said, ‘Look, at some point I’m just going to have a go’.

“I 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.

“The two guys (Brian Howard and Brian Fenton) did a nice job of creating a path there for me and with the rest of the fellas out of the way, I just kept going.

“I thought somebody; Con (O'Callaghan) or Dean (Rock), would come to me and try to take the ball off me. But that just never happened. So I just kept on going.

“Eventually there was no one to give the ball off to, so I just had to go for it myself.”

We are proud to once again partner with @AoibheannPinkT, who are a wonderful charity that helps children & families who have been affected by cancer, & @DubGAAOfficial to send messages of support to these brave children

To donate €2 text 'Pink Tie' to 50300#FightLikeAChild pic.twitter.com/HZWQxRXMkw

— AIG Ireland (@AIGIreland) June 3, 2020

Eoin, however, won't be dwelling on the past as he looks into a future which at this moment in time is uncertain owing to Covid-19.

“It was fortunate that it was a goal but it alone wouldn’t have won a game,” he said.

"I would hope I have a lot more ahead of me and would be able to impact in more ways than one singular incident.

“I’m more focused on trying to improve myself and contribute something to the team so the team can do something.

“We’d be a very good group at connecting in with our past and understand the responsibility that comes with the jersey and the opportunity and how privileged we are to be in that position.

"So I’m more focused on trying to maybe leave the jersey in a better place, for the want of a better term, rather than focusing on a single incident or a single play.

“Maybe in the future that’s something I’ll look back on, but for now I’m more focused on trying to go out and enjoy my football.”

Commenting on the current pandemic situation he said that it was “a horrible situation outside of football".

“But in a footballing sense it’s actually a great opportunity for us to use the time to work on things that we wouldn’t normally get the opportunity to.

"It allows players time to catch up or put in that little extra in terms of fitness or strength work.

“I think there can be benefits to this. It depends on how we approach it.”

AIG Insurance, proud sponsor of Dublin GAA, have teamed up with Aoibheann’s Pink Tie and the Dublin senior football team to send personalised messages to children and their families battling cancer throughout Ireland as well as helping to launch a fundraising drive to support the important work the charity does.

Like a lot of charities, Aoibheann’s Pink Tie has had to postpone or cancel a number of important fundraising events and opportunities due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its restrictions.

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AIG have teamed up with Aoibheann’s Pink Tie to send personalised video messages to children and their families battling cancer throughout Ireland. Text ‘Pink Tie’ to 50300 to donate €2.