BY COLM BRADLEY
Mark Murphy is the new name on everyone's lips, regarded as Fermanagh's most valuable player by many Championship guides which have appeared in the National press over the past week. It seems that Murphy's obvious talent is finally being picked up by those outside the county. For us Fermanagh folk though, we have known a great deal about the exploits of Mark Murphy over the past number of seasons, his goal last year against Tyrone in the Ulster Championship just one of the many highlights he has provided Fermanagh fans in recent times.
This year, his performances have jumped up another notch, although the modest high fielder prefers to play down his own importance to the team.
"Everybody has been working hard and everyone has their role to play. In my experience Fermanagh has never been about individuals and, certainly this year its all been about the team," Murphy explains. And when told that his own performances have been catching the eye of the national media, he shrugs his shoulders and dusts the comment off.
"I don't know about that. I suppose when the confidence is good in the squad, it rubs off on yourself as an individual and I would be playing with more confidence this year but I don't read too much into what people are saying or writing. I just want to keep working as hard as I can and the rest will look after itself."
No doubt he will be ignoring this article then. The affable Murphy finds praise difficult to accept, although his performances at both midfield and full forward this year to date has meant he has to get used to dealing with it. He is however quick to dish praise out to others, particularly the new management team.
"The set up has been very good this year", he told 'The Herald'. "The management team has been very professional in everything that it has done and that has rubbed off on the players. The players want to put in as much as the management are putting in. To be honest, training wise things are not that much different but I suppose that new faces, new voices and people with their own ideas bring a certain freshness to things and that freshness has probably helped as much as anything."
Murphy himself has had to adapt and freshen his game this year as O'Rourke has deployed his fellow Derrylin native at full forward as well as midfield. But Murphy is clear which he prefers.
"I'll be honest, I prefer midfield and would be more comfortable around there, but to tell you the truth any time you pull on the Fermanagh jersey it is an honour. So as long as I make the starting 15, I am happy enough," Murphy says explaining that 'playing for you county is everything.'
2008 has already been a successful year for Murphy and his team-mates, with promotion gained to division two, a goal which he explains was set at the start of the year.
"You set out your goals at the start of the year", he said, " and our first goal was to gain promotion. We were glad to get off to a winning start after the first two games being called off . Things just started to pick up from there and we just kept winning and that winning seemed to breed a real confidence in the team."
And Murphy was glad that, as the league went on the teams became more challenging.
"It helped too that the as the league went on the games got tougher. It meant we were getting a different and more difficult challenge every week, which helped us."
Murphy admits that the final defeat to Wexford was a blow at the time but insists that it is far from the players' minds now.
"Promotion was the goal as I have said but we always knew that if we achieved it that we would be in the league final and we looked at that as a bit of a bonus. We were really up for the game and obviously very disappointed to have lost it but, at the end of the day it is not what we are about this year. We regrouped quickly after the game and are now focused on the Monaghan challenge."
Seamus McEneaney, the Monaghan manager is sure to have his players fired up for Sunday's encounter and Murphy knows that he and his team-mates will need to be in top form.
"Monaghan have always been a very difficult team to play. They are physical and will tackle hard. We know they will be the toughest challenge to date, and we have to be ready to meet that challenge," Murphy explains, before going on to express his delight at being back in Brewster Park for the encounter.
"It will be great to get back to Brewster Park. We have not played there for nearly two years and it was difficult having to play so many games outside the county. We had made it into a bit of a fortress and, hopefully we can do so again."
Thoughts of an elusive Ulster Championship are never far from the minds of Fermanagh fans, but Murphy contends that the Fermanagh players can ill-afford such day dreaming.
"Obviously, winning an Ulster title is always in the back of your mind, there is no point saying any different but, at the same time we cannot look that far ahead. We have to remember that before winning an Ulster title you have to get to the final, so we will not be looking any further than Monaghan on Sunday."
No doubt Monaghan will be looking to pinpoint Murphy as a man they need to blot out of the game. That has proved easier said than done in recent times, however, and whether at midfield or full forward, Murphy will prove more than a generous handful to whoever is charged with curbing his influence.
