‘Our pride is hurt, so we need a break’ – Murphy

Joe Murphy attempted to tone down potential criticism of his side’s performance against Wicklow. Scoring only 1-7 over seventy-plus minutes has not been Carlow’s style this year, so the manager was willing to exonerate his players this time.

“It is disappointing. The last thing we wanted to see was Carlow people filtering out of Dr Cullen Park today before the final whistle. Very disappointed, like we all are. At the end of the day, these chaps are going to the well so many times. It is not just a physical challenge all year. It has been an emotional challenge for them as well,” he pointed out.

“Certainly, it is not the way we wanted it to work out, but it is just one of those days where we found it very difficult to get into a flow of playing. I don’t know whether it was in the stars or not, but in the first half we had a wind, and it just died. Then it started in the second half, it got back up again, and you are saying to yourself, thinking to yourself, is it going to be our day, and it certainly wasn’t.”

The visitors were always going to bring everything they had to Netwatch Cullen Park. They would have been aggrieved when the two sides met in the league, with the Garden County footballers having a late goal disallowed. Then they coughed up a big lead in their final game against Longford and lost out on a league final appearance.

“Wicklow played a top game. The extra break helped them really to dust themselves down,” Murphy said and said that Carlow supporters should not forget what his players have achieved this year “At the end of the day, Wicklow are going to Leitrim and Waterford next year. We are not,” he said.

Next week, the winners entertain Dublin at home, and while the former All-Ireland champions are not the side they once were, they would be favourites to see off either Wicklow or Carlow.

“We were not going to win a Leinster championship, so this game was about pride. Being a derby and all that, the Rathvilly lads especially felt that way. Our pride is hurt. Now we need a break.”

A lot has to happen before the Tailteann Cup draw is made. In the meantime, Murphy, his management team and the Carlow players will take a rest.

“We need a week off. I am not sure. It is at least three weeks (Tailteann Cup first round). Probably four weeks. The way we look at it, we just need a break from everything and just get a week off. It has been so intense.”