Darren Murphy has experienced the biggest stage in domestic knockout football on four occasions but will instead turn to the small stories for inspiration as Loughgall aim to topple top-flight Cliftonville and reach the Irish Cup semi-finals.

Although a self-confessed “realist not a romantic” when it comes to the beautiful game, the Loughgall boss will allow some time for the village club to dream of becoming one of four coveted names in the weekend draw.

But Murphy’s team talk towards giving the second-tier side an extra edge over Premiership-based Cliftonville before kick-off on Saturday at Lakeview Park will centre not on his own memories of the highs and lows available on that special prize of a day in May at Windsor Park.

Instead, Murphy – who may only be eight months into his job as Loughgall boss but has an association with the club dating back to the early 90s – will draw on the community club’s greatest strength.

placeholder image — Loughgall manager Darren Murphy will draw on the village club's proud past and on-going community passion for the weekend Irish Cup quarter-final visit of Cliftonville. (Photo by National World)

“I think the biggest compliment that I've been paid is that I'm always very welcome on a return to a previous club and that's something I would be proud of...but this one, of course, it's different,” said Murphy. "Alfie Wylie brought me to Loughgall in 1995 to play one game back in the day when you could do that and to help Loughgall win their first-ever 'B' Division title and see that piece of history and what it meant to so many people was really great.

"I also sat in the stands watching when they reached the semi-final of the Irish Cup for the first time, under Alfie in 1997 (losing to Cliftonville).

"Some of those people are still around today...sadly, there's some really, really great Loughgall people no longer around.

"I was also working (as a radio pundit) the day that Loughgall beat Glenavon at Mourneview Park in the 2018 quarter-finals under Dean Smith (losing, again, to Cliftonville in the semi-finals).

“I’ve also just gone to games to watch Loughgall...it's two miles from my house so I live in the community.

“Thanks to those connections I have to certain individuals and people around the football club and, especially, being here these past eight months, I see how hard so many people work.

“We are one of those clubs where Jolene makes the food after the game and players still come in and get their chip butties and hot dogs.

“That part of us is never going to go away, it's nice to give them the Irish Cup quarter-final at home against a really good Premiership side.

“It would be even better if we could get that semi-final and have a day out...purely and simply for the people who put in the long hours, do the unseen work.

“I look at Trevor Parke (Loughgall’s kit manager), he's been around the club nearly 10, 11, 12 years now and on Tuesday he took off work to leave his house by 2.30pm for Institute away so everything was ready for the players, then gets himself home at nearly midnight and starts to wash the kits.

"Nobody sees that and I'm not just singling Trevor out, there's so many people, so it would be massive for the club...but I'm a realist, not a romantic.

"The reality is we have to perform to our top level and Cliftonville have to perform a wee bit below their top level.”

Murphy has both personal and professional respect for Cliftonville boss Jim Magilton and his assistant, Gerard Lyttle, thanks to years sharing the football stage.

“Jim and 'Skin' (Lyttle) are two very knowledgeable men who know the game inside out...two people that I have the utmost respect for, in this game we're all associates and you're very fortunate that sometimes you can call people in the opposite dug-out a friend,” said Murphy. "I've been very fortunate to have that opportunity to work with Jim for a number of years at the Irish Football Association...you see the amount of detail that he goes into to get his team prepared for a game of football.

“Gerard again is very detailed, so they're a really good partnership and I'm sure all the rest of the staff are as well.

"It's certainly a challenge for me and my coaching staff.

"Having something different is what's great about it...that wee bit of excitement, that wee bit of colour and that wee bit of noise on the day.

"The cup is different, the build-up over the week is different, the players' attitudes are different, everything's just different...that's the part that I like.

"Being the underdog it makes it a wee bit more exciting for me and for the football club because we're at home.

"When you get to the quarter-final stage, you're not talking about the last 32, the last 16...all of a sudden you're 90 minutes of football away from being in the last four of the most prestigious cup competition.

"If the players take the information on board and they stick to the game plan that we have in place, you never know in cup football...you just never know.

"The message will be 'go and challenge yourself and see where it takes you'.

"I do have players who have played in cup finals and won cup finals...and then, obviously, the squad you tilt it to the other side where they're all young and learning.

"You're hoping the experienced players can pass a wee bit of that on to the younger players but sometimes you also get no fear from the younger players.

"What you want the players to do is make sure that they leave nothing behind on the pitch...no regrets.

"It's the Irish Cup...once you're out, you're out."