Record-breaker Murphy helps United to easy win

Galway United 3

Cobh Ramblers 0

HISTORY made, a record broken, but Alan Murphy says he is not finished yet, having becoming Galway United’s all-time leading scorer in the league last Friday night.

His 45th minute penalty was his 75th league goal for United, breaking the 74-goal haul of Paul ‘Ski’ McGee that had stood for 25 years, but speaking to Tribune Sport after the game, Murphy said there are still plenty of goals to be achieved for the rest of the season, both personally and from a team point of view.

“As I said a few weeks ago, I wanted to get it done, so I’m glad it’s out of the way. Now it’s going to be about the season rather than every time I get the ball and shoot, will I get the record? It’s done and I’m delighted, but there’s more in me and I’m looking forward to the rest of the season,” Murphy said.

The next target from a personal point of view could be the overall United record – McGee still holds that with 97 league and cup goals, with Murphy now 13 behind him on 84.

Murphy made his United debut in the 1-1 draw with Sligo Rovers in The Showgrounds, the second last game of the 1999/00 season, a result which relegated the home side.

He first got on the scoresheet in the league for United on December 15 2000, scoring the only goal of the game against Longford Town in a Premier Division clash in Terryland Park. He hit three more goals that season out of as total of 29 league appearances; and then hit 11 goals in 31 league appearances in the 2001/02 season, including the first of two club hat-tricks.

“They were probably the most bizarre goals, scoring a hat-trick and still losing the game 5-3 – and I didn’t even start the game, I came on as a sub!” said Murphy on Friday night in relation to the 5-3 defeat at home to Bray Wanderers in the Premier Division on March 10 2002.

He started the game on the bench, but was introduced as a 27th minute sub for John ‘Jumbo’ Brennan, but despite finding the net in the 54th, 62nd, and 86th minutes, United finished the game without any reward in a game in which all eight goals were scored in the second-half.

Full report in this week’s Connacht Tribune.