DAMIEN DUFF was repeatedly reduced to tears on Shelbourne’s return to European action.
But he has insisted he is not sweating about having only a one-goal lead ahead of their trip to the heat of Gibraltar.
After an 18-year absence, Shels returned to the continental stage on Thursday and had a dream start when Mark Coyle put them ahead after 27 seconds.
They conceded a sloppy goal from a corner before half-time with Will Jarvis’ second-half penalty all that separates the sides before the second leg.
But Duff was pleased just to get a win and savoured the occasion of their first European game since 2006.
Duff said: “The fans were amazing.
“I cried a good few times, the video you probably saw on Shels’ socials, I thought it was really powerful.
“I didn’t want to show the guys a video, I actually haven’t done one last season, the last time was this time last year.
“But I asked for it to be sent on.
“I added in a few bits of my own just to jazz it up and we did it downstairs in a huddle, just before kick-off.
“It was a beautiful moment, it was powerful. So, yeah, a brilliant night.”
On the impressive fan display, he said: “Yeah, I was crying again!
“I’m an emotional guy. I’m a shouter and a screamer, but I’m a hugger and a kisser and I cry as well.
“I always turn the lights off! Lesson one. They didn’t see anything.
“In the huddle in there, just before kick-off, I was like, ‘yeah, this is why you dedicate your life to football, it’s so beautiful’.
“Hats off to them, I thought they were unbelievable.”
The Ireland international was not despondent about not having a bigger winning margin before they travel to the Europa Point Stadium where Derry City were beaten 2-0 by Bruno’s Magpies on Thursday.
He said: “It’s slightly disrespectful to them – ‘We want to do them for two, three or four’.
“They are a decent team.
“They lost the league in the last minute last year to Lincoln Red Imps. They lost it on a long throw.
“They have guys who have played for Gibraltar, 60 or 70 caps, they know the game, are very wise football players and very bloody technical, so it was never going to be easy.
“It’s a brilliant win, we’ll go and adapt to the conditions over there next week and we’ll be ready.”
SCRUFFINESS
But he was vocal on the sideline as Shels failed to build on their early lead.
He said: “It probably wasn’t even tempo, it was just an air of scruffiness that came in and sometimes it’s getting too comfortable, utter dominance I’d say in the first half.
“It was an amazing learning for them, it’s big-boy football and one corner…
“The frustration was I think we let them back into the game, not with a lack of aggression, drive and pressing et cetera, just a bit of scruffiness came into our play.
“Sometimes you can just become too comfortable but you can’t at this or any level.”
Duff revealed Derry counterpart Ruaidhri Higgins had been in touch on Wednesday to give him the lowdown and conditions on the Gibraltar venue after training there.
And he said: “We’d like to think we are a high-intensity team, we like to press and bring the fire, as we call it.
“But we are going over to probably 30s, mid-30s heat, so your game-plan will change.
“We will adapt to everything, the astroturf, I don’t think they even water it over there.
“There is no greater learning than seeing Derry’s result.
“Ruaidhri actually texted me off his own bat, saying the pitch was better than the Brandywell!
“And that the heat was just ridiculous.”