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Ruaidhri Higgins and Damien Duff were involved in a heated confrontation on the touchline after Monday’s stalemate in Tolka but both managers were in agreement that the title race isn’t a two horse race.

Both the Shels and Derry City boss played down their brief, tetchy exchange at the final whistle and Higgins dismissed it as ‘handbags’.

And Duff did likewise when asked about the incident.

"Emotion, tension,” Duff said. “Ruaidhrí is probably my only friend in the League of Ireland so I guess I've none left now. I never had many anyway. There is no one else to talk to.

"On a serious note, I love Ruaidhrí, whether I get a chance to speak to him now, he was the one person that kept me sane when I was in the Irish gig. So much respect for him, what he's done at Derry. He's a brilliant, brilliant guy. He's a big boy, I am. We'll brush it off.”

The 0-0 draw on Monday kept Shels three points ahead of Derry but Duff reckons it would be ‘stupid’ to rule Shamrock Rovers out of the race.

“Everyone keeps talking about Derry and us but I never thought Rovers were out of it, regardless of 10, 12 points,” said Duff.

“Brilliant team, brilliant players, brilliant manager. Everything about them is brilliant. They've been going along nicely and they'll be happy that nobody is talking about them. I'm not stupid, they are absolutely in it.”

Derry City manager Ruaidhri Higgins poses for a selfie with a young fan. Photograph: George Sweeney

And his opposite number was in agreement.

“There's more than two teams involved in it. Anyone who thinks any different is wrong,” he said.

"They [Rovers] are not out of it. One hundred percent they’re involved in because I’ve no doubt they’ve got the quality to string a load of wins together.

"I’m not just firing it out there for the craic – I genuinely believe that they’re in it.”

When asked if nerves were beginning to creep into Shelbourne’s play as the title race enters the home straight, Duff responded:

“They're no mugs, to be top of the league for 25 f***ing games. You're allowed to be nervous,” he says.

“I was on the touchline, I'm 45, I was nervous. I'm sure Ruaidhrí was nervous. You're allowed to be nervous. It just crept into our game a tad.

"When I played as a footballer I was nervous, when you're not nervous it's time to jack it in and go to the pub. Nerves can be a fine line.”

Ruaidhri Higgins and Damien Duff agree it would be 'stupid' to rule out Shamrock Rovers in title race