Damien Duff reckons 'footballing gods' Derry City have 'double our budget'
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
The Dubliners have been looking down from the summit of the table since March 4 and while Derry City threatened to leapfrog them on Monday night, Sean Boyd pounced with a 90th minute equaliser to consolidate leadership of the Premier Division.
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Hide AdEx-Ireland international Duff described his team's performance as a 'brilliant night's work' in the backyard of one of the expected title favourites but he dismissed talk of his team being genuine title contenders, insisting Rovers and Derry will be battling it out for honours at the end of the season.
"For me it's Rovers-Derry, Rovers-Derry," began Duff. "I can't emphasise that enough. Amazing squad, footballing gods, double our budget so whether we're punching above our weight I don't know. We have no right to be hanging around but two months [top of the league], we're probably like a bad smell. We'll see where we go."
Shels lead the pack by three points after 15 matches but Duff isn't getting carried away as they prepare to host Drogheda in Drumcondra on Friday night.
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Hide Ad"In this league, a week off or two weeks off, it can soon turn and you could be in fourth. I don't get carried away, We don't. We will have a good training session tomorrow and start prepping on the way home tonight, we'll start watching Drogheda. We don't get carried away. People may have in the past when they've been top but we don't."
Results earlier in the day went in Shelbourne's favour with Rovers surprisingly losing 3-1 at home to Waterford and Duff expects the trend of unexpected results to continue until someone takes the title race by the scruff of the neck.
"I think until the final day, I think anybody is capable of beating anybody and I can't see how that changes. We put a run of six games winning streak together and I don't think anybody's come close to it since. That's for a reason. Anybody can beat anybody. The minute you're anyway off or disrespect, you'll get found out," he warned.
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Hide AdDuff's troops have only managed one win in their last eight games after a blistering start to the season but he was encouraged with how they reacted to going a goal down at Brandywell when Paul McMullan fired into the bottom corner after 65 minutes.
"Deserved, without a doubt. We didn't deserve to go behind yet it was our own fault. You always run that risk when you try to keep the ball for long spells which we did. Along with the point that's the most pleasing thing. I don't think you see many teams, if any at all, come here and dominate the ball for long spells so a brilliant night's work.
"You come here and usually sit on the edge of your box against Derry and they're peppering you. Whereas when you have the ball and have a chance of scoring and they don't. We coughed it up in transition for their goal but that was the plan. We tweaked a few things. We had a quick turnaround Friday, Monday and gave them new information we probably did stuff we never did before. It's absolutely amazing from the boys. I can't speak highly enough of them. It's just a brilliant performance from them."
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Hide AdSince Derry rolled them over in the 2023 FAI Cup Final at the Aviva Stadium, the teams have played out six draws and have shared just five goals in those fixtures. Duff believes his team have grown considerably since that embarrassing night at the home of Irish football.
"There's not [much between the sides]. All I can concentrate on is us, not anybody else. The one thing I can say for sure is we've grown markedly since the cup final. Obviously better players in, better squad, everything, the team, the club, we're a different animal since the cup final."
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