‘This is Hollywood’ – Damien Duff reacts after guiding Reds to Irish football’s Promised Land thanks to Harry Woods’ late winner in Derry
Strolling to the title would have been out of sync with the personality of this side, a hard working collection of individuals who have drained the maximum from their reserves of energy on their march from pillar to post. They have existed on the fine margins.
Perseverance was the story of this game, just like it has been the story of this club since their last title in 2006. They have endured darker moments in the intervening period than the 84 scoreless minutes here where it looked as though they were going to slip at the last hurdle.
But with the finishing line in sight, Duff’s side summoned one last effort, reflective of the belief that he has drilled into a group containing just three previous title winners. The 40th goal of their league season came in the 84th minute; 11 of those strikes have come in the final ten minutes.
The breakthrough was only beautiful to Shelbourne eyes, yet there were elements of it that reflected Shelbourne’s three-year journey to here under Duff.
Seán Boyd, the type of player that Duff has targeted, a LOI performer with a point to prove, lined up a free kick that took a wicked deflection that was palmed into the path of Harry Wood by Brian Maher.
The Englishman, a product of the short-lived relationship with Hull City that almost led to Duff walking away when it turned sour with the Turkish overlords, held his nerve to convert from close range. Shels had their lead goal and when they score first, they tend to hold on. And so it proved.
“We’ve been told we’re not good enough, you’ll never win anything. You’re this, you’re that,” said Duff afterwards, pointing to a broader message.
“If you put your mind to anything, you can do anything you want. That’s what my players have done. This is Hollywood. The greatest story.”
Duff’s stardust has raised awareness of the Shelbourne story, but their achievement is worthy of coverage above and beyond the normal levels afforded to a League of Ireland champion. Shels were 25/1 in pre-season, and in this era of one club dominance of leagues both big and small, it’s rare that 25/1 shots win league titles.
Especially when you consider that Shels had to negotiate the business end of the campaign without Will Jarvis and Gavin Molloy, inspirational figures in their burst from the blocks, who departed at various interval across the summer. Duff went shopping in the aftermath to add more strength in depth but quantity didn’t quite replace that quality.
The final third of the campaign has been a struggle, the tank emptying as critics suggested that Duff’s side were simply regressing to the mean. One stats analyst in the UK who calculated a league table based around xG suggested that Shels really should have been fifth going into the final round of fixtures, a full 30 points behind the runaway Hoops.
There has been a sense at times that rivals around the league view Shels as fortunate beneficiaries of an erratic year, with Duff’s players peripheral to player of the year and team of the year discussions rather than central to it.
But there’s a niggling feeling that it suits them too, the sense of Shelbourne against the world helping to replenish energy levels when a 12 day after break after losing to Shamrock Rovers allowed them to take stock of a pretty straightforward situation; win the last three games and they would be champions.
They travelled north after completing the first two thirds of that mission, and Duff’s side started well, even though they were second in the ‘as it stands’ table inside five minutes with word coming through of the Shamrock Rovers opener in Tallaght.
It effectively confirmed what they would have suspected; they had to go and take control of their own destiny rather than wait for favours from elsewhere.
Duff would have been happy with his team’s approach, with purpose and focus visible in their early application. They didn’t take any chances defensively, with the odd needless punt forward the only sign of nerves, but an early opportunity created by centre half Paddy Barrett striding forward to pick out a pass reflected that they were tuned in.
As it happens, the resultant flick from Boyd to release Liam Burt who dragged a right footer wide was the closest that the visitors came to a first half breakthrough.
They gave Maher a thing or two to do without banging the door down and, in truth, there were a few ominous moments coming up to the break with Michael Duffy and Colm Whelan both threatening.
The local vibe was strange, with the sense of deflation palpable. A banner from home supporters with a reference to Sunday week’s FAI Cup final was an attempted distraction from the loss of form that took them out of the title race.
Rúaidhrí Higgins said he wouldn’t take unnecessary risks with his team selection, but he went with a strong side. Patrick McEleney wasn’t risked and Patrick Hoban didn’t make the squad, with Will Patching dropping to the bench.
That could have been tactical though, with Whelan given the chance to make an impression. Derry needed results elsewhere to go their way to open the door to a top three spot that would bank Europe before their trip to the Aviva.
By half-time, those results were going against them and while Danny Mullen did strike the bar before the hour mark, Derry didn’t really ask hard enough questions in the aftermath.
Shels stood firm at the back, with Barrett and Kameron Ledwidge disciplined and full backs Tyreke Wilson and Sean Gannon – the latter en route to his 11th league win – getting forward wherever possible to try and support the attack.
Ali Coote’s arrival off the bench added impetus, yet there were near misses which would have fuelled a hard luck story if Shels had fallen short; a Boyd miss and a Coote penalty shout to name just two.
But Duff’s Shelbourne are determined to write a new story, and Wood’s breakthrough paved the way for the sweetest moment of the manager’s sporting career.
They survived seven minutes of stoppage time to prompt wild celebrations. “Irish football is in my blood,” said Duff. It’s Shelbourne blood now.
Derry City: Maher, Boyce, Connolly, Idehen (S McEleney 73), Wisdom; McMullan (Robertson 73), O’Reilly, Diallo (Davenport 73), Duffy; Whelan (Patching 65); Mullen.
Shelbourne: Kearns, Gannon, Barrett, Ledwidge, Wilson; Burt (Coote 60), Coyle (Caffrey 60), Lunney, Tulloch (Wood 73); Martin (Griffin 85), Boyd.
Referee: Paul McLaughlin.
