DAMIEN DUFF labelled a refereeing decision “mind boggling” that cost his Shelbourne side a point.
But he insisted his Reds must remain confident that they can win the league with the title still in their own hands.
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Shels lost a crazy Dublin derby 3-2 to St Patrick’s Athletic as Al-Amin Kazeem scored late for the Saints who had earlier let a two-goal lead slip.
But Duff and Shelbourne were furious with referee Damien Macgraith’s decision to award a free kick against striker John Martin seconds earlier rather than for his team.
Duff said: “I just have to say, the lead up to it. A mind boggling decision. John Martin is going down the line.
“I think it’s Joe (Redmond) from behind, he rugby tackles John and the free kick is given the other way.
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“They’re not excuses but six, seven seconds later they score. A crazy, crazy decision.”
Still, Shelbourne are four points clear and know that if they look after their own business, they will be champions though it will involve improving on their record of one win in their last nine.
Duff said: “I’m sick of saying it, I’ve said it to yas quite a few times in the last few weeks. It’s still in our hands, yeah.
“Here, it could have been a massive point. I’ve said that too many games recently. Bohs twice. It’s in our own hands, that’s one way of looking at it.”
“When you look at that as an isolated one in nine, that fact is not great when you are trying to win a title.
“But we are top after 32, so I could counter you with that. If we just strip it back, are we in great form results-wise? Absolutely not.
“But I never give up, I’ll go to the death, it’s still in our hands, two home games, two away games, would I have taken this at the start of the season?
“I’m sick of saying that but here I am again saying it.”
But he acknowledged that his side did not do enough in the game as the Saints scored three times and also hit the woodwork on three occasions.
He said: “The three goals we’ve given away are ridiculous, you won’t win at game at any level. But we’ve got ourselves back in the game. The third goal, yet again, soft.”
Duff also acknowledged his side lost their discipline at the end as Matty Smith was sent off for an off the ball incident with Aaron Bolger, while Martin also could have seen red.
But he shrugged off his own run-in with St Pat’s coach Brian Gartland as the pair had words as the Saints man was giving a pep talk to Kazeem before he was introduced.
Duff explained: “He was trying to take over my technical area, the last time I checked it’s mine. He’s not allowed in it and I’m not allowed in his.
“It was emotion. I was asked were we too emotional but it’s emotion that gets us back in the game, we’re built on emotion for two and a half, three years.
“Have we gone over the line at the end with Matty’s red? Yeah, it’s a red. John, I’ll have to see that back but I think it’s naughty as well, he’s lucky to escape more punishment.”
KENNY REACTION
St Pat’s boss Stephen Kenny added: “If you said before the weekend that you’re going to take six point and score six goals…
“The players were brilliant. Shelbourne were very good, two excellent goals from their point of view.
“But away from home, throwing away a two-goal lead and to come back and getting a winner, that speaks volumes.”
The Saints are now up to fifth and two points off a European place, though Kenny would not consider the possibility of qualifying for the Conference League next season.
He said: “I’m not sure, we’ve still a lot of work to do. We have just to got to keep winning matches and playing with freedom.”
