IF IT wasn’t before, it is now officially squeaky bum time.
After last night’s results, with two games to go, four points separate Shelbourne, Derry City, Shamrock Rovers and St Patrick’s Athletic.
Fifth-place Galway United were still in mathematical contention until Friday’s loss to the Saints.
But the title is Shels’ to lose — win the remaining matches and their rivals are powerless to stop them.
Football in the League of Ireland and elsewhere has become more sophisticated in recent years.
Players are more technical, innovative tactics have been introduced and the data revolution has changed how teams assess and recruit players.
Yet it is easy to forget that football is as much an art as a science.
Ultimately, sport is a game of emotion and that factor can often offset the best-laid plans of coaches.
Ex-Ireland international David McGoldrick recently spoke to The 42 about his two seasons in the Premier League with Sheffield United.
In the first campaign, played mainly in front of crowds, the Blades exceeded expectations and finished ninth in the table, two points behind Arsenal.
In the second season, largely behind closed doors due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the team finished bottom of the table and got relegated.
McGoldrick felt the influence of the crowd was a big factor behind Sheffield United’s rise and fall, and they are just one example of many.
Last night, following a tentative start, it seemed it might not be Shelbourne’s night and that their six-game winless streak would continue.
When Waterford opened the scoring from the penalty spot through Padraig Amond, it accentuated these negative feelings.
Yet Shelbourne, especially their two-goal hero Sean Boyd, showed great character to recover and claim a 3-1 win.
With the hosts trailing, a second of hesitancy from Waterford defender Darragh Leahy allowed the 26-year-old striker to nip in — and that one moment altered the course of the contest irrevocably.
The home support undoubtedly played a part too. It felt like they were almost willing the Reds over the line.
Waterford were not coming up against a team but an unstoppable force.
Momentum was on Shels’ side as it was so often earlier in the 2024 season.
But that is not to suggest it was easy. Shels only took the lead in the 80th minute through Boyd’s penalty before Liam Burt’s spectacular insurance goal four minutes later.
“I still had that feeling we would do it,” Duff told reporters afterwards. “I just thought there was a beautiful energy. Granted, there was a beautiful tension in the ground, which is what we want here at Tolka Park. So I always had faith, I guess.”
It was a chaotic match, with both sides not afraid to go long often and early.
Although Shels’ superb third goal involved a series of intricate passes, their opener and the penalty that led to the second stemmed from old-school hopeful punts into the danger zone.
“I’ve no ego,” Duff said. “I want to play great football and dominate the ball, but also, we go direct. We’re a pragmatic team and it got us a goal.”
Duff has represented Ireland at the World Cup and won Premier League titles with Chelsea, but was as nervous as ever last night.
The Dubliner feels his team can benefit from this palpable tension.
“Was I a bit nervous before the game? Yeah, but I like nerves. Every time I pulled the jersey on as a player for whoever I was playing for, I was always a little nervous. It always drove me to have clarity and aggression in my play — it’s something I always talk about with our lads, the tension, the nerves. They’re going to be there but it has to be a driver.
“It could be a weight on your shoulders but it’s about striking that fine balance. Today, you’d have to say it drove the lads.”
The manager also paid tribute to the passionate home support, with the Tolka Park factor a key reason behind the squad’s overachievement this season.
“I don’t think anyone else’s banner or flags touch the Riverside. That’s not me being biased. We’ve got a big mural upstairs. One of them I think is the Bohs game, season one cup quarter-final. But the nerves and then you come out and see that [banner in the crowd], I’d want to run through a brick wall tonight and the lads did.”
