DAMIEN DUFF SAYS he has no concerns about how his players will react after being knocked off the top of the Premier Division table for the first time since the start of March.
Shelbourne are second on goal difference but have a game in hand on Derry City after they won in Waterford and the Reds drew 1-1 with Bohemians last night.
A combination of two rounds of European action and two wins in the FAI Cup means Shels’ last league win was over Galway on 28 June.
Three draws and defeat to Sligo Rovers during the last two months has seen their advantage at the summit dwindle.
Duff, though, is adamant both he and his squad are up for the challenge.
“Me? Do I not look well?” he said with a smile.
“I’m absolutely fine. I’ve had some very difficult days in my life and this isn’t one of them, and managing Shels isn’t one of them and being in a title race against Derry and [Shamrock] Rovers isn’t stressful either.
“So I’m disappointed and a tad frustrated, but I’m still going home very proud, as the players should be and the fans should be of their team,” Duff added, before being asked about getting knocked off top spot.
“It depends on how you look at things, it doesn’t bother me one bit. There was always going to be changes I would have thought, swings and roundabouts. It has been a crazy league, crazy results all year, you can see the one up the road (Drogheda United beating Sligo Rovers 7-0).
“So that slipping back down, granted we have a game in hand but I’d never get carried away with games in hand anyway, you need to go do something with games in hand. I used to be in relegation battles and ‘Oh great, we’ve three games in hand’ Fucking lose the three of them! Happened to me a few times. Here, them going on top on goal difference – fine. It’s an amazing position we’re in.”
Duff reckons the “personality and presence” of players like Paddy Barrett, Shane Griffen and new signing Aiden O’Brien will prove crucial in the run in, but rallied against the suggestion this title race will stand them in good stead for future challenges.
“You always hear that you have to kind of lose one to learn from it and then win the next one, I don’t stand by that. Am I worried about lads dealing with pressure? No. Nerves are good. It’s why you get back involved in the game, I guess.”
Duff accepted that Shels didn’t deserve to win last night but said Bohs didn’t do enough either. He felt “the biggest disappointment was how our performance kind of petered out in the second half” and referenced the “emotional energy” that was needed.
Goals are, too, and Shels have scored the fewest (30) of any side in the top five while second-bottom Drogheda’s demolition of Sligo means they have now found the net 36 times.
Shels haven’t scored more than twice in a game this season – excluding the Leinster Senior Cup – but Duff remains confident, partly due to the fact they have also conceded fewer (18) than anyone else in the top flight.
“Here, we’ve as much attacking quality as anyone. I did think we looked dangerous in the first half, especially with playing two strikers up top, something we don’t do a lot. Like I said, it’s strange how our second half performance petered out.
“But goals in the team, there is plenty of goals but I guess it’s about doing it on a Friday night. It’s been aimed at us consistently over the two and a half years, we don’t score a lot. But we work on attacking play and patterns etc.
“But listen I’ve no complaints. Do we create chances? Yeah I absolutely think we do. But I’ll never criticise anyone for missing a chance.”
