Michael Duffy hitting top form at the perfect moment as Derry prepare for Shamrock Rovers

​Duffy, who won two SSE Airtricity Premier Division titles with Dundalk, netted his seventh goal of the season in the 2-0 FAI Cup win over Shelbourne on Saturday and played a starring role in what he felt was the team's best performance of the year.

The timing of that display couldn't have been better ahead of the visit of a resurgent Rovers who will be hoping to close the gap on Derry to a single point with a victory at Brandywell.

"It would be great beating Shelbourne in the cup and then going getting a result against Rovers," said the talented winger.

"It would be a big marker set down and we could kick on for the rest of the season. If you can go and win a few games for a couple of weeks you can see the difference it makes to the league table.

"So it's crunch-time now and that's what we need to do."

Derry came racing out of the blocks against Shels in front of a packed Brandywell last weekend with Duffy scoring a rare first half goal for the home side. And the Galliagh native is expecting the Candy Stripes to approach Friday's game in the same manner.

"We know they have quality players all round the pitch but we need to focus on ourselves. That's what we did on Saturday.

"We're at our best when we're on the frontfoot, when we're attacking and getting our attackers on the ball as quickly as we can.

"Most games against Rovers are an exciting watch. We'll just go out and try to play and set up the way we did on Saturday and try get the result."

The ex-Celtic man admits he's been frustrated with his form at times this season. He showed he's back to his electrifying best last weekend as he terrorised Shels right-back Tyreke Wilson throughout.

With Paul McMullan also a potent threat on the opposite wing and Derry playing with a real purpose and intensity to their play, Duffy is relishing his football and excited for an action-packed finale to the season.

"I hadn't scored in a few weeks and it's been a frustrating few weeks to be honest.

"I've had a few chances in games and haven't put them away. I just want to get back playing like I did on Saturday; get into those areas where I can set up goals and score goals.

"That performance I put in on Saturday that's the way I want to play every game from now until the end of the season.

"Everyone, as a team, played brilliantly. It was such a big game playing Shels in the cup we knew what was at stake. The atmosphere at the Brandywell, we haven't played there in a while and overall it was a brilliant night.

“We needed a night like that. It had been a while since we played at home and getting a packed house last Saturday, us playing well and getting the big win, just sets us up nicely now going into the Rovers game.

"Their tails are up at the minute and they're in good form but we're in good form ourselves so it's set up to be a cracker."

"We showed what we can do when we're at our best and when everyone plays well.” Derry were coming off the back of a demoralising loss against Galway United so what changed in their approach to the cup tie?

"We just went for it really. Our press was brilliant and everyone was at it which freed myself and Paul up a bit.

"We were getting more one v. ones and getting a lot of joy. The boys were getting the ball out to us quicker and everything just clicked together.

"That was a bad night down in Galway and sometimes you'd rather a match straight away to get over it but I think the wee break was good for us and we could just set up and work on the Shels game for a full week and prepare and everyone did.

"We had a brilliant week of training. Ruaidhri and ‘Heggsy’ [Paul Hegarty] had us set up brilliantly and what we worked on happened to come off completely on the Saturday.

"It was a brilliant night for us altogether. It sets us up lovely going into the Rovers game."

Rovers' 2-1 victory over Galway last Monday night has reignited their chances of battling for a fifth successive league title.

It's been a Lazarus-style return to the top end of the table by Rovers who looked dead and buried over recent weeks.

However, Duffy insists the Derry camp were never foolish enough to ever write the Hoops out of contention.

"We know how important this game is and with Rovers not far off us in points now, the league has been so close all year around.

"There could be more ups and downs to come but I'd rather it was just ups for us and we keep winning.

"It would leave us in a brilliant position going into the last few games so hopefully we can feed off that performance on Saturday.

"I'm sure the crowd will be looking forward to it and it should be a good night.

"We didn't write them off. They won the league four years in a row and look at their squad.

"You couldn't write them off especially with how the season has gone results-wise. Every game is tough and people are dropping points all over the place. I always felt Rovers would go through a phase where they would start picking up a few results which they have done.

"We don't really focus on them at all or where they're at in the league. We know where we are and what a few wins could do to our position. We're just going to the game looking to win and get the three points, We'll focus on ourselves because there's seven games remaining."

Derry fans and many neutrals will be hoping the title race boils down to that final game of the season against Shelbourne at Brandywell.

And although Shamrock Rovers will be confident they still have a major bearing on the destination of the title, Duffy admits a final day showdown would be an exciting way to end what's been the most unpredictable of seasons.

"That would be brilliant if it came down to that it would be some night at Brandywell. But there’s a lot to play in between that and we'll look at Friday and take it game by game.

"The way the league has been this year you don't know where you could be after three or four games We'll just focus on Friday and try go out to get the win."