The Reds return to League of Ireland Premier Division action on Sunday evening as they make the trip to Tallaght Stadium to face Shamrock Rovers in their penultimate away game of the 2024 season (5:45pm KO/RTÉ 2).
Damien Duff’s side will be down to the bare bones as a mix of injuries and suspensions leave the Reds contending with a long list of absentees.
Duff knows their squad depth will be tested tomorrow. He spoke to ShelbourneFC.ie following training at the AUL on Saturday: “We’re down a few bodies. Sam Bone and JJ Lunney are out — the game comes too soon for them. Liam Burt is ineligible against Rovers, obviously. Paddy Barrett and Matty Smith are suspended, and Shane Griffin and Aiden O’Brien are also out.”
Despite the issues, Duff remains upbeat: “Being low on numbers has probably never rattled me in the three years I’ve been here. I’m used to it from my underage days, going to games with 12 or 13 players. As long as we have enough for a solid starting lineup, that’s what we’ll focus on.”
“We’re looking to get a win. We can take positives from Monday and the draw last week. It’s the perfect time to find form after a couple of games where we were out of sorts. The next step is winning games and putting points on the board. Tomorrow night is massive — a top-of-the-table clash at the home of the champions. We need to bring our form and even more to get a result.”
It’s tight at the top of the table, as the Reds begin the night four points ahead of their nearest challengers, Derry City, with a game more played. Rovers are also right in the mix. Duff knows the chasing pack will pounce on any slip-up: “I told the guys during the week that Rovers and Derry smell blood and might see opportunities to close in. We have to smell it too, though. It’s in our hands. We’re in pole position, the best position. Everyone wants to be where we are. We can’t sit back or let up; we need to sense the moment and not let it pass us by. It starts tomorrow — simple.”
The Reds have overcome their fair share of obstacles at this stage of the season, coming from behind down the stretch to record important wins last year against UCD and Drogheda United at the business end. Duff says that mentality will stand to them over the next four weeks: “It’s resilience, and we’ve all worked to build and enhance it, but a lot of it is innate. They’re great guys — whenever they get knocked down, they always get back up. For us, the staff and players, we’ve faced plenty of rejection in life. We’re used to knockbacks and setbacks, and we’re used to dusting ourselves off and going again. It’s nothing new to us — we don’t say no.”
Duff feels their good recent record against the Hoops will stand to them tomorrow: “It should give the guys confidence — the games have always been tight, and I’d expect more of the same tomorrow. We know Rovers will have a lot of the ball, be defensively solid, and really compact. But we need to keep the ball, not just camp in, accept it, and defend.
“We want to take the game to them like we did in Tolka earlier in the season, and Tallaght last time we were here. Contrary to what people say and think, our plan is to take the game to them. Of course, there will be times when they pin us back, and we’ll have to defend and suck it up. It’s a mouth-watering tie and a game everyone should be excited about.”
“After Monday, some people told me it’s the best game they’ve seen in years, but we’re not here to entertain — we’re here to win and put points on the board. I’d rather win ugly than entertain and lose. If pundits and tv viewers are excited and entertained, that’s great, but my focus is on getting results.”
Tomorrow will be the Reds final Dublin Derby of the season, they’ve taken more points than their city rivals in Dublin derbies this season. Duff knows they are special occasions.
“They’re really special games, and they have an edge that isn’t present in any other fixture when you go outside of Dublin. That’s why it’s so tough for Dublin clubs to win the league — you’ve got 12 Dublin derbies to deal with, and they’re the hardest games to win. But they’re great games to be involved in. If there was a league table just for derbies, we’d be on top, and that plays a big part in our season.”