Hat-trick hero Daryl Murphy says he knew the goals would start to flow once he’d got one to end his drought, but admitted even he wasn’t expecting to score the treble which helped the Blues to a 5-2 win at Rotherham on Saturday.
Murphy netted in the 43rd, 48th and 72nd minutes to record his first hat-trick since netting four for his hometown club Waterford United in a 7-2 FAI Cup third round victory over Kilkenny City in August 2004.
"I’m delighted, the last few games I’ve had chances. I just knew it was a case that when I got my first one more would come,” he told Ipswich Player.
"I didn’t realise I’d get a hat-trick, but I could have had five today with the chances I’ve had. But I’ll take that.”
He says he’s tried to remain confident during his dry spell - he’d made 13 starts and three sub appearances for Town and three starts for Ireland since netting twice at Blackburn on May 2nd - and admitted that his first goal at the New York Stadium wasn’t the sweetest of hits.
"If I’d probably caught it cleanly it wouldn’t have gone in. I’ve mis-hit it a bit but that’s got me up and running, and thankfully I’ve added another two.”
Reflecting on the Rotherham result which followed the home draw with Cardiff and the victory over Bolton at Portman Road, he added: "It was a massive three points going into the international break. It’s been a big week for us, we could have had nine points but we’ll take seven.
"We knew what we had to do today to get a result and I thought we were brilliant. Apart from conceding two goals the lads were different class.”
The spirit in the squad was evident from the way the entire team celebrated Murphy’s goals.
"It’s brilliant, the lads were delighted for me because they know I was a little bit disappointed not to have scored already.
"But it just shows how close-knit we are as a group and obviously the display today was evidence of that.
"You need a good team spirit, everyone has to be pulling in the right direction. You have to have quality players as well and players that want to win and want to fight for each other.”
The Blues are now undefeated in four and appear to have put their winless spell firmly behind them. Murphy says they need to build on that improvement after the break.
"You need a bit of luck every now and then in the Championship because it is such a strange league,” he continued.
"You see some results some weeks and they are baffling but if you get on a good run and you get a bit of momentum then you’ve got a chance.
"I think this year we are stronger, we got off to a flying start to the season and then hit a bumpy patch but hopefully we are over that now.”
He added: "We haven’t got a game now for two weeks so it wouldn’t have been nice going away if we hadn’t have got three points, but we came here did what we needed to do and the lads can enjoy their break now.”
Murphy will join up with the Republic of Ireland squad today ahead of their Euro 2016 qualifiers against Bosnia-Herzegovina with the first leg in Zenica on Friday and the second at the Aviva Stadium, Dublin next Monday.
"They are absolutely massive because who doesn’t want to play in the Euros?" Murphy said.
"And that is what we have in front of us if we win the games, so all the boys are absolutely buzzing for it and I am sure we will do well.
"The manager will hear I have got a hat-trick and I think there are a few injuries and few suspensions so hopefully I’ll be involved.”
Fellow Blue David McGoldrick was named in the 39-man provisional squad but is expected to be withdrawn due to the groin injury which saw him miss Saturday’s game at Rotherham.
A number of other Town players will also be involved with international squads over the next couple of weeks.
Winger Tommy Oar will be with Australia for their World Cup qualifiers against Kyrgyzstan and Bangladesh.
The Kyrgyzstanis travel to Canberra on Thursday, before the Socceroos take on Bangladesh in Dhaka on the following Tuesday.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles is set to join up with the England U19s, who face Holland away in a friendly on Thursday, then Japan at Manchester City’s Academy Stadium on Sunday.
Central defender Josh Yorwerth, who is currently on loan with Crawley Town, and keeper Michael Crowe will be with the Wales U21 squad for two European Championship qualifiers.
The Welsh youngsters, who are coached by ex-Town midfielder Geraint Williams and have made an unbeaten start to their qualification campaign, take on the Armenians at Bangor University Stadium on Friday and the Romanians at The Racecourse, Wrexham a week tomorrow.
Winger Dylan Connolly will be away with the Republic of Ireland U21 squad for a Euro 2017 qualifier against Lithuania in Vilnius on Friday and then a friendly against Norway at the RSC, Waterford four days later.
Having said that he was available for New Zealand’s friendly in Oman on Friday, Tommy Smith was then surprisingly omitted from the All Whites squad which was named at the end of last week for what New Zealand Football described as "personal reasons”.
Meanwhile, former Blue Kieron Dyer is set to appear on this year’s series of I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, which starts on Sunday 15th November.
Dyer, 36, arrived in Brisbane over the weekend but when questioned was coy on his involvement in the show, in which another ex-Town player Jimmy Bullard featured last year.