Emily Murphy heaped praise on the Irish crowd that ‘were massive for us’ after Ireland battled hard but eventually fell to a 2-1 defeat to France last night.
Murphy was the Ireland Player of the Match on Tuesday night, she proved a constant thorn in the French side. Murphy provided the assist to Katie McCabe’s opener which went the feverish Irish crowd into rapturous celebration.
However France would fight back in the second half and substitute Melvine Malard struck twice in the second half to secure Les Bleues victory.
Emily Murphy spoke to the media after Ireland’s narrow defeat to France at Tallaght Stadium. The Halfway Line was present to speak with her.
Irish fans are ‘our twelfth player’ lauds Murphy
Last night, in front of a record crowd of 8,376 for a women’s match at Tallaght Stadium Ireland came close to an historic result. Emily Murphy was at the centre of so many positives for Carla Ward‘s side. The Newcastle forward was quick to heap praise on those watching from the stands in emerald green,
“I mean, they’re our twelfth player, they always will be” Murphy said, as a smile punctured her disappointment for a moment at the thought of the crowd.
“We use them, we need them, and they believe in us as much as we believe in ourselves, which can’t be said for everyone else.
“Credit to them all for coming out because it’s cold out there, it always is. They were massive for us and [we are] disappointed not to get it [the result] for them.”
France defeat ‘stings’ says Emily Murphy
It was only in the last minute that France made safe the three points as Marie-Antoinette Katoto headered the ball off the line. Ireland came so close but narrowly missed out on a point, Murphy reflected on the evening,
“I think, look, we had a game plan that we executed really well” Murphy said.
“I was saying on RTÉ [a moment ago] we went toe to toe with one of the best nations in the world. We’ve got to take massive, massive [heart] from that.
“And yeah, I think our focus shifts. Disappointed. I think it stings, and we wish we’d have got points from it. I think we deserve points, but here we are.
“It’s just football sometimes, and we’ll move on.”
France did not have a shot on target in the first half at Tallaght Stadium, and with their two shots on goal they scored, yet Ireland created far more. That was put to Murphy by Rachel O’Sullivan from Girls on the Ball,
“I was just speaking to my dad then, and that’s what he said. I think that’s probably the difference. You know, they’re two shots on target and two goals.
“So, yeah, disappointing, but for us, like you said, we created seven opportunities against an unbelievable side, and so we’ve got to take everything we can from that.”
“I said this earlier in the week, we’re underestimated. And I think especially coming here, coming to Tallaght with a I think it was nearly a sold out crowd, we build off that, we drive off that.
“And, yeah, the belief in the team, I don’t think you’ll find a nation that works as hard as we do, and we’ve pride ourselves on that.”
Murphy lauds Kyra Carusa’s ‘engine’ and ‘unbelievable energy’
Murphy had positives to say about two of her Irish team mates when asked who were key to Ireland’s performance. The first, her strike partner Kyra Carusa,
“Yeah, unbelievable” Murphy said.
“Got an got an engine on her and an unbelievable energy on and off the pitch. So I can’t complain.”
Murphy combined with captain Katie McCabe for the opening goal and she talked through that moment,
“Yeah, I said beforehand. Katie’s quality speaks for itself” Murphy asserted.
“And so I knew, as long as I got the ball to her onto her left, it was going to be in and she did the rest.”
‘We went toe to toe’ with France says Emily Murphy
Murphy was asked to reflect on the biggest positive of an evening that was littered with them for Ireland despite the end result,
“Biggest positive takeaway is that we went toe to toe and we weren’t put to bed” Murphy explained.
“I don’t think that they felt comfortable throughout that 90 minutes, and I think especially towards the last 10, 15 [minutes] like we were knocking on the door.
“If anything, they were lucky to get away with us not taking a draw from that. I think of that goal line clearance, fair play to them.”
