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Michael Duffy shows off his Player of The Month award. Oliver McVeigh/SPORTSFILE
Crystal wing

Duffy recognised for his decisive contribution during a 'mad' September

The Dundalk winger has been named SSE Airtricity/Soccer Writers’ Association of Ireland Player of the Month.

MICHAEL DUFFY’S PERFORMANCES during a September to remember for Dundalk have earned him the SSE Airtricity/Soccer Writers’ Association of Ireland Player of the Month award.

Duffy found the net three times last month, including a stunning goal against Shamrock Rovers as the Lilywhites completed a successful defence of their Premier Division title.

The 25-year-old winger was also on target in Dundalk’s EA Sports Cup final victory over Derry City, while his other goal in September was a dramatic 90th-minute winner away to Sligo Rovers that secured his side’s place in forthcoming the FAI Cup decider.

Duffy, who won the Player of the Month award twice in 2018, has claimed it for the first time this year after finishing ahead of club-mate Chris Shields and Aaron Greene of Shamrock Rovers in the voting.

“It was a mad month,” Duffy said. “It’s one that we’ll all look back on fondly. I was pleased because I chipped in a few big goals. There were a couple of games where I was quiet, like the EA Sports Cup final. I didn’t see much of the ball, but to score the winner right at the end [against Sligo] was unbelievable.

“Everything just seemed to fall for me, and I was in the right place at the right time. To win the title the way we did against Shamrock Rovers made it a special night.” 

If Dundalk can make it back-to-back FAI Cup wins on 3 November when they face Shamrock Rovers at Aviva Stadium, they’ll become the first team since Derry City in 1989 to record a domestic treble.

Duffy, a native of Derry, said: “We want to finish strongly in our last two league games, but all eyes will be on the FAI Cup final now. It’s going to be a massive day.

“If we could do the treble, I wouldn’t even know how to describe it. The fact that 30 years have passed since the last team achieved it shows that it’s not something that comes around very often.

“The boys will never forget the success they had in Europe, but if we can pull this off it will be something that stands to us for the rest of our lives.”

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