FROM SHAME TO FAME

14 months after TWO own goals AND red card in Cardiff, green giant Duffy emerges as Ireland leader on return to Welsh capital

IT WAS at the Cardiff City Stadium that Shane Duffy endured his most humiliating experience in football.

At the same venue on Monday night, Duffy truly came of age as an international defender on his greatest night yet in the game.

On August 17 last year, fresh from his Euro 2016 involvement, Duffy scored two own goals in a six minute period in Blackburn Rovers’ 2-1 defeat to Cardiff City.

Adding insult to injury, he was sent off in stoppage time. Ten days later Duffy moved to Brighton (right) and has never looked back.

Now a Premier League regular with Chris Hughton’s team, the 25-year-old was a colossus for Ireland against Wales, his ability to be everywhere the danger presented itself reminiscent of Richard Dunne in his Moscow pomp.

Without him it’s unlikely Martin O’neill’s men would have held fast as the home side desperately probed for World Cup salvation.

“I don’t know,” Duffy modestly said. “Maybe it was just my night and I felt I stepped up. It wasn’t just me. I had so much protection.

“The lads in front of me were outstanding and (Darren) Randolph pulled off a great save.

“Big Murph (Daryl Murphy) was tremendous – bullied the centre halves. Everyone put a shift in.

“That’s what it’s all about. We’re together. We always get written off but we always come back.

“It’s a super feeling. Obviously there was less at stake than the Euros and it wasn’t in tournament mode, but it feels like it was. It was a great night.

“That’s what we wanted. We would have taken that at the start of the campaign – and we knew we could beat Wales.”

Duffy earned O’neill’s trust during the Euro 2016 finals when the manager turned to his fellow Derry man and Ciaran Clark in the wake of Ireland’s 3-0 loss to Belgium – and they performed heroically against Italy in Lille.

He was at fault for the two goals in the last 16 tie against France but Duffy has since repaid that faith in spades. He is clear on what the secret of Ireland’s success is as thoughts turn to Tuesday and the play-off draw.

“We believe,” he stated. “We’re not the prettiest team to watch but we’ve got the belief inside that we can beat anyone, literally beat anyone, and that is half the battle.

“And we’ve got quality in there as well. When you get it right like Monday night – semi-finalists in the Euros and beating them on their home patch. Whoever gets us in the draw it will not be easy ( for them).”

Even if it’s one of the top seeds, and possibly Italy again? “Bring it on,” he smiled. “You might as well beat them early!”.

Duffy feels that attitude was on display against the Welsh.

“Big games like that, we thrive off. We knew we had to soak up a lot of pressure early on and we did that and they got frustrated and never really got through.

“And we knew we would get a chance with the forward players we’ve got. It’s a great feeling.”

Duffy showed real leadership after James Mcclean’s 58th minute goal – marshalling the defence, winning header after header and blocking shots.

“I kept saying to myself, we aren’t conceding here. We had confidence, everyone defended.

“Every ball that was dropping (David) Meyler, Harry (Arter) and Jeff (Hendrick) in front of us gave us so much protection.

“Every ball we won we were on the second ball, and James has so much energy, and big Murph up front was brilliant.”

Duffy let a roar himself at Mcclean in the final moments when he conceded a needless free-kick.

“I’m a nuisance on the pitch,” grinned Duffy. “He was outstanding as always – I didn’t know he had a right foot like that, to be fair.

“He’s probably been our best player in this campaign. He works hard – what you see is what you get. He’s a top lad.”

We’re not the prettiest but we’ve got belief..