Shelbourne’s manager, Damien Duff has stated that his squad is not going to let their 2-0 victory against Shamrock Rovers lead to overconfidence. The match, which took place in Tallaght on a recent Friday night, was decided by two successful penalty shots executed by forward Will Jarvis. Roberto Lopes of the Rovers got dismissed in the second half.
Duff made it clear after the match that the celebration was kept at a minimum. According to him, there was no excessive celebrating or outburst in the locker room. He emphasised that it was all about reflecting on the game and then going home.
Duff did express dissatisfaction with the performance during the last 25 minutes of the match, highlighting how his players were dominated instead of them controlling the game. Despite acknowledging the tension in the game’s latter stages, he thought they could have retained possession better, especially considering their opponents had one man down. However, he praised the overall night’s efforts.
The triumph marked a successful week for Shels, with three victories, previously overpowering Waterford and St Pat’s Athletic. Duff regarded their first win against the Rovers away in two and a half years as a satisfying accomplishment. With regard to the criticisms of Shels perceived as a defensive team, Duff maintained that he views their organisational strength off the ball as a positive aspect.
According to Duff, Shelbourne is possibly the only club that receives backlash for this approach and for celebrating their goals. He also alluded to a ‘us against the world’ mentality in his team. At present, Shelbourne heads the division with 37 points, maintaining a six-point lead over Derry City, who are in the second place with 31 points, and Rovers in third place score 28 points.
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