MURPHY KEEPS QUIET
HUDDERSFIELD TOWN 1 NEWCASTLE UTD 3: PROMOTION TALK BANNED IN MAGPIES’ CAMP
Daryl Murphy says talk of promotion is banned inside Newcastle’s dressing room.
Rafa Benitez’s side went five points clear at the top of the Championship after Saturday’s 3-1 win at Huddersfield Town. Murphy was on target for the second goal, along with Matt Ritchie and Dwight Gayle.
The ex-Sunderland striker challenged goalkeeper Danny Ward as he attempted to get the ball under control before finishing through his legs. “Huddersfield were not happy with my goal, but the ball was there to be won,” said Murphy.
“I don’t know what they are complaining about.I went for it and took it off the keeper. I was thinking of crossing it, but the goal was open and I chances my arm. Fortunately, it went in.”
The victory, sealed when sub keeper Joel Coleman misjudged a clearance and allowed Gayle to run through unchallenged to touch the ball home, after a period of intense Huddersfield pressure, put the Magpies 11 points clear of their third-placed hosts.
But Murphy insists that Benitez’s players are still not talking about promotion ahead of tomorrow’s game at fifth-top Reading.
“There is no talk of promotion inside the dressing room,” said Murphy.
“Of course, we’re now in a very good position. There are a lot of games to go and anything can happen. You can see that with the results every week. So we can’t take anything for granted.
“We have a nice points total, but there are a lot of tough fixtures ahead.
“The manager would not be happy if he heard us talking about playing in the Premier League this season. He keeps hammering home to us that there are a lot of games in April, and that is going to be the key.
“It’s a cliche, but we take every game as it comes.”
Newcastle had just 24% of possession against David Wagner’s side, and it was important for the experienced Murphy, signed from Ipswich Town last summer, to use the ball intelligently when it was played up to him.
“I can’t recall a game when we have had so little possession,” he said. “But in a sense we knew that before kick-off. Looking at the stats, most teams they play, they dominate possession, so we were prepared for that.
“They made it hard for us to close them down at the back, because they passed it so well. We knew we’d get chances and it was a case of taking them. There’s a lot of personal satisfaction that I’m scoring important goals.”