SHELBOURNE BOSS Damien Duff believes his team will not be popular Premier Division winners within the league if they ultimately get over the line.
The Tolka Park outfit could be crowned champions as early as Sunday if Shamrock Rovers fail to beat Dundalk.
But a Hoops win would take the title race to the last day. In that scenario, Shels either would have to beat Derry or hope their rivals slip up against Waterford.
Following last night’s win over Drogheda, asked whether people would prefer Rovers or Shels to be 2024 champions, Duff said: “Who do you hate more? I don’t know, it’s irrelevant.
“Do people not like us still within the league? Absolutely. And we’ll always continue to build on that.
“You walk down the road, walk down wherever, Grafton Street tomorrow, a lot of people want us to do well. It’s us against the world within the league but outside, there’s a lot of energy behind it, call it what you want.
“Walking down the street I said to my wife today: ‘Anyone and everyone is stopping me.’ So I’ve built this football club along with many, many people.
“It’s us against the world, I still think it’s very much there, especially in the League of Ireland.
“I’m out running 5k up around the mountains of Delgany and I met a woman on crutches and she stopped me for a chat, she’s from Yorkshire and desperate for us to win the league.”
Duff says he will watch Sunday’s game between Dundalk and Shamrock Rovers. Shels will hope the Lilywhites can do them a favour and pull off a major upset.
“I couldn’t go for a run. Even if I went for a run, I’d be checking the apps on the phone. No, I’ll watch it just like I watched Derry-Sligo, Derry-Dundalk. It’s fascinating.
“Dundalk are written off, I think it’s disrespectful.”
And does he find it easy to watch matches from home?
“It’s always nice to watch a game with a glass of red or something like that but I won’t because we’re in training Monday. Sunday is a sideshow, whatever you want to call it. I have to prepare for Derry.”
Duff admitted he was surprised that the Candystripes were out of the title race, paying tribute to their “brilliant” players and manager.
The ex-Ireland international also praised his squad as they showed good composure to see out a 2-1 win on Friday despite the home crowd’s palpable anxiety.
“I think the nerves have been here for a long while in the Riverside. That’s what I’m always telling the guys — to bring that calmness.
“It’s as if they’re growing before my eyes. Were they nervous 10 weeks ago? Probably, maybe. I hinted there were nerves. Is there now? No.
“I think our players were the calmest guys in the stadium tonight.”
One individual in particular who has risen to the occasion is Sean Boyd. The 26-year-old striker has registered three goals in the last two matches to inspire the Drumcondra outfit’s title push and has 10 from 26 overall.
“I could even see in the warm-up that he was on it,” Duff added. “My thing always with Sean is prodding and prodding and prodding him. It’s how to prod him. Does he get sick of it? Yeah.
“As Joey [O'Brien] always says, you keep kicking the dog, they stop running for the stick. We say that a lot about Boydy, so it’s a fine balance with him, but tonight he was on it.
“He needs to play with an edge. It’s like Wayne Rooney. That’s what I compare it to. If Sean doesn’t play with an edge he’s nothing.
“If I don’t have an edge I’m nothing, I might as well not come in every day. He had that edge again tonight.
“I’m still trying to prod him anyway. The stats, two goals last week, a goal and an assist tonight, it’s absolutely elite.
“You could argue, it sounds bizarre, that he is still probably getting up to speed and we are going into the last game of the season.”
