‘I cried a good few times today’ – Damien Duff reveals ‘powerful’ video inspired Shels to Euro success

After an 18-year absence, the Reds returned to Europe last night at Tolka Park with 2-1 victory over Gibraltar’s St Joseph’s in their Conference League first round qualifier.

The Shels boss paid tribute to his side as well as their supporters, saying it was a night of “absolute satisfaction” after Mark Coyle’s remarkable opener after just 27 seconds was followed by Will Jarvis’ winning penalty in the second-half.

Today’s Sports News in 90 Seconds – 12th July

Duff, now in his third season in charge at Tolka Park, opened up on how an emotional tribute video created by the club’s media team helped inspire his side as they kicked off their European journey with a victory. ‘Tonight is for the people who kept this club alive’ read the video’s caption on Shelbourne’s social media.

“They (fans) were amazing. I cried a good few times today, the video you probably saw on Shels’ socials, I thought it was really powerful,” said Duff, as his side travel to Gibraltar for next Thursday’s second leg, with FC Zurich awaiting the winners in the second round.

“I didn’t want to show the guys a video, I actually haven’t done one this season. The last time was a similar time last year. I just asked Daz (Darren Cleary, club media officer) to send it to me. I added in a few bits of my own just to jazz it up and we did it downstairs in a huddle. It was a beautiful moment, it was powerful. So yeah, a brilliant night.”

With Tolka sold-out, a huge red and white banner entitled ‘Raised on Shels and Glories’ greeted the Reds at kick-off, as Duff added: “I was crying again. I’m an emotional guy.

“I’m a shouter and a screamer, but I’m a hugger and a kisser and I cry as well. I cried a few times (yesterday). In the huddle in there, just before kick-off, I was like ‘yeah, this is why you dedicate your life to football’. It’s so beautiful. Hats off to them (fans), I thought they were unbelievable.”

While Shelbourne defeated their opposition from Gibraltar last night, Derry City fell to a shock 2-0 defeat to Bruno’s Magpies away from home in their first round tie yesterday, as Duff revealed he had been in touch with Candystripes boss Ruaidhrí Higgins about conditions on the Mediterranean ahead of the Reds’ away leg next week.

“Ruaidhri actually texted me off his own bat on Wednesday, saying the pitch was better than the Brandywell! And that the heat was just ridiculous,” said Duff, whose side remain top of the table and three points ahead of Derry in the race for the title.

“I guess that hit home with me (on Thursday), not that I took getting into Europe for granted, but getting a lot of texts from people around the league, it hit home that this is pretty big, playing in Europe. As much as we were representing Shelbourne, we were representing our league and our country as well, so we were proud.”

After Coyle’s remarkably early opener, St Joseph’s soon came into the contest and levelled in fortuitous fashion from Francisco Paul Curado just before the break. Heading into next week’s second leg in testing heat, Duff insists nothing is being taken for granted.

“I think it would be disrespectful to St Joseph’s and the technique they have in the team to say ‘we want a big margin going across’,” added Duff, with no injury concerns for Shels going into the second leg.

“It probably wasn’t even tempo, it was just an air of scruffiness that came in and sometimes it’s getting too comfortable. Utter domination I’d say in the first half, 47 minutes of domination. It was an amazing learning for them (Shels). It’s big-boy football and one corner we concede, with probably their first and only attack of the half.

“The frustration was I think we let them back into the game, not with a lack of aggression, drive and pressing et cetera, just a bit of scruffiness came into our play. Sometimes you can just become too comfortable, but you can’t at this level or any level.

“We’d like to think we are a high-intensity team, we like to press and bring the fire as we call it, but we are going over to probably 30s/mid-30s heat, so already your game-plan will change. We will adapt to everything, the astroturf. It’s exciting. It’s going into the unknown. We watched them tonight, but trust me, the games I’ve seen from over there, they are a totally different animal to what you saw tonight. There is no greater learning than seeing Derry’s result.

“It’s slightly disrespectful (to say) ‘we want to do them for two, three or four (nil).’ They are a decent team. They lost the league in the last minute last year to Lincoln Red Imps. They have guys who have played for Gibraltar, 60/70 caps, they know the game, are very wise football players and very bloody technical, so it was never going to be easy.

“Here, we’ll take the win. We’ll go across and adapt and hopefully do the business next week.”