Striker Daryl Murphy was delighted to get off the mark in Saturday’s first pre-season friendly at Shelbourne, back in his native Ireland. The frontman netted both goals in the second half as Town ran out 2-0 victors, having been one of 11 subs at the break.
"It’s brilliant,” the 30-year-old said after the match. "I think the main reason for this game was fitness first and foremost, but to get on the scoresheet straight away is obviously good.”
Murphy’s first goal, which came within a minute of the restart, had a touch of good fortune about it with Shels’ keeper Ger Hanley’s clearance cannoning against him and over the line from a matter of feet.
"That’s the second one of them I’ve scored, actually!” Murphy recalled. "I scored one for Waterford a few years ago. It’s always nice to get off to a start like that, I think it was quite quick, the goal.
"I’ve played [at Tolka Park] a few times with Waterford and had mixed results. It’s always nice to come back to Ireland and play in these games. I’ve always enjoyed it and thankfully I scored today.”
Murphy finally signed for the Blues on a permanent basis this summer following his release by Celtic, after three loan spells at the club.
Previously he has always joined Town with the campaign already under way and he hopes to benefit from his first pre-season at Playford Road: "Every time I’ve come on loan it’s been after pre-season, so to actually start the season in pre-season is brilliant.”
He says the squad were given a tough week by assistant manager Terry Connor, who took charge of the Blues on Saturday with Mick McCarthy at a charity engagement, while at their training camp at Carton House, Kildare last week: "He’s been working us hard, but that’s what pre-season is all about - to get your fitness levels up for the season.
"I think all the lads have come back in great shape anyway, so it was nice to get a bit of match fitness out there.”
While Michael Chopra and Frank Nouble started up front in the first half, Murphy partnered David McGoldrick after the break and says he enjoys working with the former Nottingham Forest man: "He’s easy to play with, he’s a very intelligent striker and he works hard off the ball.
"It’s easy to play with players like that and I think anyone I’ve played with up front [here] has been easy to play with. I think we’ve got good competition for places this year.
"And that’s important. If you want to be successful you have to have competition everywhere and I think we’ve got that."
Murphy says the squad was in good spirits during the camp: "Definitely. I think everyone’s raring to go.
"We’ve all come back very fit and it’s great for a manager to look at that and see it. Hopefully next week we can now start getting the balls out instead of running!”
The Blues are next in action in their second pre-season friendly at League One Crawley Town on Wednesday (KO 7.45pm).