Murray focusing on fight for Europe
Credit:
2009 has been a roller-coaster season for Cork City and everyone
involved with in the club. Between the threat of bankruptcy, a bus
company refusing to drive the players to a game until being paid,
players not receiving wages on time, and thus talk of a boycott of Tuesday game
against Shamrock Rovers, it is an achievement in itself just to have
reached the end of the season still afloat. That they now have all but
guaranteed third place following an excellent win against Shamrock Rovers is
all the more remarkable.
Cork City captain Dan Murray was understandably delighted with his side’s victory, one that he felt was fully deserved. “After the poor start, I think we were pretty dominant and deserved the three points. With two great goals from the boys, everyone put in a good shift and I think everyone from 1 to 14 that played was excellent. That’s what we’ve been trying to do and hopefully we can put three more performances like that together and we will qualify for Europe in third place.”
Murray spoke with immense pride regarding his team mates and the efforts such a small squad of players have put in of late and how they have developed a siege mentality.
“I think it's probably brought us little bit closer. That’s it (the squad), that’s all we’ve got at the minute, 18 players and we’ve grown closer the way the season has gone on with everything going against us off the pitch. I think it’s just a release for us to try and play a bit of football. I think that win was great for everyone, the dressing room was buzzing afterwards. That’s all we want, to concentrate on football till the end of the season and what happens from there off the pitch, happens.”
Amongst all the chaos and uncertainty, Murray feels that the pitch is the only place where the team can be in control of their destiny. “I think so; I think that’s the only thing we can actually do. Especially after last Friday (when the Rebels lost at home to Bohemians) we let ourselves down a little bit with the performance. We didn’t really give it a go that we really wanted to, especially being at home at Turners Cross. Tonight I think the enthusiasm and the effort was magnificent and I think the result showed that. After what has happened today we can forget about off field things now. With the last three games all we have to do is concentrate on the football and if we finish in third place it would be a great achievement for everybody.”
Murray revealed just how close Cork were to not playing at Tallaght, and that the threat not to play was no idle one.
“Nobody wanted to strike, not one player on that team wanted to strike. To be honest I believed that they would come up with the wages, but I didn’t think that they would leave it so late. I think it seems to be that we pushed them probably to the brink but we got paid. I think we had to really put in a performance tonight because if we had let ourselves down tonight by losing it would have given people ammunition to have a knock at us, so yeah it was good.”
Murray shares the frustration of the fans and more than anything he just wants to see the club's problems resolved before next season, whether Tom Coughlan remains in charge of the club or not: “He’s come in when the club was under Examinership and he’s trying to run the club the right way. He should get someone to help him or if he is going to do it just get what he wants from the club now so we know what’s going to happen. The supporters in Cork, and there’s a half decent team there…I think everyone wants to know where the club is going to go from here.”
Cork City captain Dan Murray was understandably delighted with his side’s victory, one that he felt was fully deserved. “After the poor start, I think we were pretty dominant and deserved the three points. With two great goals from the boys, everyone put in a good shift and I think everyone from 1 to 14 that played was excellent. That’s what we’ve been trying to do and hopefully we can put three more performances like that together and we will qualify for Europe in third place.”
Murray spoke with immense pride regarding his team mates and the efforts such a small squad of players have put in of late and how they have developed a siege mentality.
“I think it's probably brought us little bit closer. That’s it (the squad), that’s all we’ve got at the minute, 18 players and we’ve grown closer the way the season has gone on with everything going against us off the pitch. I think it’s just a release for us to try and play a bit of football. I think that win was great for everyone, the dressing room was buzzing afterwards. That’s all we want, to concentrate on football till the end of the season and what happens from there off the pitch, happens.”
Amongst all the chaos and uncertainty, Murray feels that the pitch is the only place where the team can be in control of their destiny. “I think so; I think that’s the only thing we can actually do. Especially after last Friday (when the Rebels lost at home to Bohemians) we let ourselves down a little bit with the performance. We didn’t really give it a go that we really wanted to, especially being at home at Turners Cross. Tonight I think the enthusiasm and the effort was magnificent and I think the result showed that. After what has happened today we can forget about off field things now. With the last three games all we have to do is concentrate on the football and if we finish in third place it would be a great achievement for everybody.”
Murray revealed just how close Cork were to not playing at Tallaght, and that the threat not to play was no idle one.
“Nobody wanted to strike, not one player on that team wanted to strike. To be honest I believed that they would come up with the wages, but I didn’t think that they would leave it so late. I think it seems to be that we pushed them probably to the brink but we got paid. I think we had to really put in a performance tonight because if we had let ourselves down tonight by losing it would have given people ammunition to have a knock at us, so yeah it was good.”
Murray shares the frustration of the fans and more than anything he just wants to see the club's problems resolved before next season, whether Tom Coughlan remains in charge of the club or not: “He’s come in when the club was under Examinership and he’s trying to run the club the right way. He should get someone to help him or if he is going to do it just get what he wants from the club now so we know what’s going to happen. The supporters in Cork, and there’s a half decent team there…I think everyone wants to know where the club is going to go from here.”
