Former Blues striker Daryl Murphy says his lack of goal celebration after scoring Newcastle’s equaliser during his current side’s 3-1 defeat to Town yesterday was about showing respect to his old club.

The 34-year-old merely shook hands with his team-mates having turned in Christian Atsu’s left-wing cross to level Freddie Sears’s opener in the 62nd minute.

Blues supporters, who had earlier given their former striker a warm ovation, subsequently applauded as Murphy made his way back to the Newcastle half. Later goals from David McGoldrick and Emyr Huws won the game for Town.

Murphy, who joined the Magpies for a fee of £3 million in August, was making his eighth start for the North-East club, in addition to eight appearances from the bench, with the goal his sixth for Newcastle, who are second and remain the favourites to join now-promoted Brighton in the Premier League next season.

“I knew before the game I was not going to celebrate,” the Irish international said. “I had some good times here at Ipswich and it was about showing respect. The goal meant nothing in the end because we lost.

“We wanted to take the momentum we got from the Leeds game into Ipswich, that didn’t happen, which is disappointing. We will now look at the video and make sure we put it right for the next match.

“It is going to be a bit about the mental side but we need to be better than we were on Monday. We know we are better than that, whether it is a mental thing or not I don’t know.

“We can’t affect what other teams do. It is in own hands and it is about what we do — it is as simple as that.

“I always said if I had to play against Ipswich I knew how difficult it would be. They are a physical side, they work hard and they have good players and they make it hard for you. We were nowhere near where we can be, and know we can do, but no excuses.”

He added: “We need to get our heads right, work hard and put things right. We know we are better than that. We have some very good players in that dressing room who can do an awful lot better.

"We need to win games, getting three points, wherever that may come from is vital."

Photo: TWTD

RoyalAscotBlue added 07:21 - Apr 20 Top man.
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