DAMIEN DUFF SHOOK hands with opposite number Stephen Kenny and his staff straight after the full-time whistle blew on the 0-0 draw at Richmond Park last night.
Then then Shelbourne manager made a beeline for the pitch and greeted players one by one. First up was defender Kameron Ledwidge (video below), a taster of the kind of appreciation Duff was dishing out after his side’s point away to St Patrick’s Athletic.
“I’m a hugger, I’m good at hugs, that was a different type of hug,” he explained. “I still think, bizarrely, we won the league last year, but we’re a new team. Certainly [last night], there are new players in the building and I think they might look at me and Joe [O'Brien] sometimes like we’re mental. Last week, sprinting over to the away fans [in Sligo], I wanted our players to know how much it means to win a game.
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“They are probably looking at me… no, it’s the way you celebrate. So [last night], a few slaps around the head, hugs, a few choice words, it was all love and affection, and it was just another night where they get to maybe know me and the staff more, because I want them to continuously grow, as we have done every season. And certainly, for the new players, probably still not knowing us, there’s nothing to hide here.”
One of those fresh faces is not a new signing. Lewis Temple is a 19-year-old who emerged through the club’s academy before spending last season on loan with Wexford in the First Division. Injuries to centre backs Paddy Barrett and Sam Bone, as well as experienced defenders Sean Gannon and Tyreke Wilson, gave the Wicklow native his chance. On just his third Premier Division start, he picked up the man of the match award.
He’s also someone well capable of handling himself when Duff shows his affection in such a physical manner. He became aware of the youngster at Eagle Martial Arts Club for Bray and Arklow, where Temple started kickboxing at four and by the time he was 12 earned a black belt and became a world champion. It was only at 15 that the defender decided to focus fully on football.
“It’s an incredible mentality,” Duff said. “What were you doing at 12? I know what I was doing at 12 – [watching] The Simpsons and playing hide and go seek, probably. He was… a bit old? 12? Tip the can. Good game. Incredible, and it just shows. He has come into a highly pressurised game [last night].
“I spoke about it with the players at half-time, you could feel it in the ground, it was brilliant, a beautiful tension, it makes you feel alive. I asked them to embrace it more. So for Lewis to come in, with the amount of starts he’s had, he just sucks it up, eats it up. He’s been doing it for years.
Shels boss Damien Duff. Andrew Conan / INPHO
Andrew Conan / INPHO / INPHO
“I’ve met plenty of brilliant training players in my career, as a coach, whatever, and they don’t deliver on a Friday or a Saturday. Whenever he has been asked, he has always delivered. He has had to wait for his chance, because he has been up against serious competition for places, but he has absolutely gone in and done brilliantly.
“If someone needs to be told something, I’ll tell them. Lewis, he has had some bashings off me and Joe over the years, but he has never brought any of his moves out on us,” Duff joked.
The champions may not have started with the same pace as they did last season, but they are in fourth place, one point off Galway and St Pat’s, and two adrift of leaders Drogheda.
“I thought we started off a bit nervous, a bit of apprehension in our play. We defender really well for the 95/96/97 minutes and I just think, with the ball, we grew consistently,” Duff said.
“I think it was there for everyone to see. I think in the second half we looked really dangerous. I think we’d the best chances on the night and, as the game wore on, they looked tired, dead on their feet. We just grew and grew.
“We haven’t been playing badly. I think things can snowball and spiral out of control. If you go through all of our games, we started off well, six points out of six, Rovers, Galway, dominated the two games. After that, Drogheda, individual mistake, 1-0 down after three minutes but dominated the game.
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“Cork was the only game that still pees me off. For 45 minutes, we went out for a stroll in the park. After that, we got a reaction, a draw, OK, fine. Sligo, it was never going to be pretty.
“Round one games in Ireland at times, pitches, whatever reason, we found a way because that’s what Shelbourne Football Club do and, [last night], I couldn’t be any prouder of them. We defended amazingly well for 95 minutes. As the game wore on, we played some brilliant, brilliant football. That’s a quick synopsis of our league round one in two minutes.”
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From world champion kickboxer to heart of Shels defence - Damien Duff hails 'incredible' Lewis Temple
DAMIEN DUFF SHOOK hands with opposite number Stephen Kenny and his staff straight after the full-time whistle blew on the 0-0 draw at Richmond Park last night.
Then then Shelbourne manager made a beeline for the pitch and greeted players one by one. First up was defender Kameron Ledwidge (video below), a taster of the kind of appreciation Duff was dishing out after his side’s point away to St Patrick’s Athletic.
“I’m a hugger, I’m good at hugs, that was a different type of hug,” he explained. “I still think, bizarrely, we won the league last year, but we’re a new team. Certainly [last night], there are new players in the building and I think they might look at me and Joe [O'Brien] sometimes like we’re mental. Last week, sprinting over to the away fans [in Sligo], I wanted our players to know how much it means to win a game.
“They are probably looking at me… no, it’s the way you celebrate. So [last night], a few slaps around the head, hugs, a few choice words, it was all love and affection, and it was just another night where they get to maybe know me and the staff more, because I want them to continuously grow, as we have done every season. And certainly, for the new players, probably still not knowing us, there’s nothing to hide here.”
One of those fresh faces is not a new signing. Lewis Temple is a 19-year-old who emerged through the club’s academy before spending last season on loan with Wexford in the First Division. Injuries to centre backs Paddy Barrett and Sam Bone, as well as experienced defenders Sean Gannon and Tyreke Wilson, gave the Wicklow native his chance. On just his third Premier Division start, he picked up the man of the match award.
He’s also someone well capable of handling himself when Duff shows his affection in such a physical manner. He became aware of the youngster at Eagle Martial Arts Club for Bray and Arklow, where Temple started kickboxing at four and by the time he was 12 earned a black belt and became a world champion. It was only at 15 that the defender decided to focus fully on football.
“It’s an incredible mentality,” Duff said. “What were you doing at 12? I know what I was doing at 12 – [watching] The Simpsons and playing hide and go seek, probably. He was… a bit old? 12? Tip the can. Good game. Incredible, and it just shows. He has come into a highly pressurised game [last night].
“I spoke about it with the players at half-time, you could feel it in the ground, it was brilliant, a beautiful tension, it makes you feel alive. I asked them to embrace it more. So for Lewis to come in, with the amount of starts he’s had, he just sucks it up, eats it up. He’s been doing it for years.
“I’ve met plenty of brilliant training players in my career, as a coach, whatever, and they don’t deliver on a Friday or a Saturday. Whenever he has been asked, he has always delivered. He has had to wait for his chance, because he has been up against serious competition for places, but he has absolutely gone in and done brilliantly.
“If someone needs to be told something, I’ll tell them. Lewis, he has had some bashings off me and Joe over the years, but he has never brought any of his moves out on us,” Duff joked.
The champions may not have started with the same pace as they did last season, but they are in fourth place, one point off Galway and St Pat’s, and two adrift of leaders Drogheda.
“I thought we started off a bit nervous, a bit of apprehension in our play. We defender really well for the 95/96/97 minutes and I just think, with the ball, we grew consistently,” Duff said.
“I think it was there for everyone to see. I think in the second half we looked really dangerous. I think we’d the best chances on the night and, as the game wore on, they looked tired, dead on their feet. We just grew and grew.
“We haven’t been playing badly. I think things can snowball and spiral out of control. If you go through all of our games, we started off well, six points out of six, Rovers, Galway, dominated the two games. After that, Drogheda, individual mistake, 1-0 down after three minutes but dominated the game.
“Cork was the only game that still pees me off. For 45 minutes, we went out for a stroll in the park. After that, we got a reaction, a draw, OK, fine. Sligo, it was never going to be pretty.
“Round one games in Ireland at times, pitches, whatever reason, we found a way because that’s what Shelbourne Football Club do and, [last night], I couldn’t be any prouder of them. We defended amazingly well for 95 minutes. As the game wore on, we played some brilliant, brilliant football. That’s a quick synopsis of our league round one in two minutes.”
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League of Ireland new discipline Shelbourne Soccer