A real test of character - Murphy

The Irishman converted a fine cross from Ayoze Perez with 79 minutes on the clock to send the Magpies back to the top of the Sky Bet Championship, Dwight Gayle’s first-half strike having been cancelled out by the Bees’ Lasse Vibe.

United’s two marksmen had traded places just before the half-hour mark, Gayle having been forced to leave the field after suffering a hamstring injury.

Both Isaac Hayden and substitute Vurnon Anita also saw their involvement cut short after the break, with Dean Smith’s side laying siege to the Magpies’ goal either side of Murphy’s decider.

To cap off a testing encounter, the visitors had to negotiate almost ten minutes of additional time at the end of the second period, but – after holding out for another three-point haul – Murphy paid tribute to his teammates’ battling spirit.

“I couldn’t believe it when I saw the board go up,” Murphy told nufc.co.uk. “It was a test of character. We had to dig deep to try and not concede. There were a few scares at the end, but overall, I thought we defended well. Our ‘keeper pulled us out on a number of occasions, which was absolutely brilliant.

“To lose three players to injury is unbelievable. I was thinking, ‘I hope nobody else gets injured’ – because we’d have been struggling then alright. It was just a mad game, really. Hopefully the injuries are not too serious and the players will be back soon.

“We knew it was going to be hard – they’re a good side, and they’re very good at home. But overall, I think we probably deserved to win it. We dominated most of the first half, and could have been more than 1-0 up.”

After opening his account for United in last Saturday’s FA Cup Third Round draw at Birmingham City, Murphy’s winner at Griffin Park capped off an impressive week on a personal level.

Prior to the New Year, the frontman had been restricted to just two appearances for the Magpies in all competitions, having joined from Championship rivals Ipswich Town in August.

But, following a dream start to 2017, Murphy is hopeful of keeping his momentum going when Rafa Benitez’s side return to FA Cup action against the Blues on Wednesday night.

“I’ve just had to be patient,” he said. “I’ve waited a long time for a chance. To get a start last week and score was brilliant. The circumstances today were unfortunate – with Dwight coming off injured – but I’ve just tried to keep sharp, and I was delighted to come on and help the team.

“The ball in by Ayo was unbelievable and he put it on a plate for me. I didn’t have to put any power on it – I just needed to get a slight touch on it, and thankfully it went in.

“I hope to be involved against Birmingham, but we’ll wait and see. I need to play to get up to speed with match fitness, so hopefully that will happen.”