MURTY MOST FOUL
Angry Gers gaffer fired up fightback
JAMIE MURPHY didn’t celebrate his latest Rangers goal but that doesn’t mean it didn’t mean the world to him. But it did demonstrate respect for the team that sent him on his way to becoming a professional footballer. The on-loan winger’s solo effort secured a comeback draw against his first club Motherwell at Fir Park. And having lost their two previous matches, it stopped Gers from suffering three successive top-flight defeats for the first time since October 2000. It also completed a fightback from 2-0 down that answered more than a few questions about the mentality of Graeme Murty’s team who had been bullied in a first half where the home team should have been out of sight. Few of the near 9000 crowd would have predicted at the interval that Rangers had a strong enough mentality to turn around the situation. But James Tavernier’s penalty gave them a lift and Murphy’s solo effort a couple of minutes later had the massive travelling support, that had booed them up the tunnel, in raptures, even if the scorer himself didn’t join in the celebrations. Murphy said: “To be the one that scored the goal, you want to celebrate it but you want to be respectful as well. “This club (Motherwell) has done a lot for me. I was a skinny 11-year-old and they took me in and showed me how to become a professional footballer so I owe them a lot. “I always feel I am going to score. I got a bit of stick from the fans but I enjoyed it. That is football sometimes and you get booed when you are on the other team. There are no hard feelings. It was a bit strange being back.”
Murphy admits he saw another side to the normally calm and reserved Murty at the interval as the Rangers manager left them in no doubt their first-half display was unacceptable.
But he refused to make changes and instead challenged his players to go out and right the wrongs of the first 45 minutes.
Asked if Murty was as angry as the players have seen him, Murphy answered: “Yes and rightly so. Everyone in there knew it was unacceptable to be 2-0 down and for them to be good value for their two goals as well.
“It was just a poor first half. If we had played like we did in the second half in the first we would have won. We are glad we managed to turn it around and take the point but we came here for the win so are disappointed.
“We were talking about that at half time and had to show some character and pride in the jersey. Ultimately we were disappointed in the end not to go on and win.”
Murty admitted Murphy’s display was crucial in lifting the side after the break and also paid tribute to Graham Dorrans, playing his first match since injuring his ankle in Pedro Caixinha’s last game as manager in October.
Murty said: “Jamie was good all over the pitch but we didn’t get the ball to him enough in the first half.
“That bravery he has to deal with the ball in tight situations puts us in a good place. We know he will accept it, so will Graham. He did one run in our defensive third in the second half that was fantastic. He showed no fear.”