Damien Duff happy with Shelbourne's start to season despite sharing spoils with Shamrock Rovers

Damien Duff said his Shelbourne players were disappointed not to take all the points from their meeting with last season's title rivals Shamrock Rovers at Tolka Park.

The champions and the team who won four in a row before that drew 1-1 in a game that suggested they will both involved at the business end again this season.

"I'm happy that the guys are disappointed. It shows where they're at as a team," Duff told RTÉ Sport. "Shamrock Rovers, brilliant team, [but] second half I thought there was only one winner.

"I thought we looked really strong, really powerful and controlled the game near on the whole second half.

"You can smell it. You can feel it. I think everybody in the ground can feel it, if there's only one team here, it's going to be us. It wasn't to be.

"I thought they [Shamrock Rovers] were outstanding. They've had a lot to deal with. They haven't had a pre-season. They haven't had an off-season, and I thought they showed real quality at times in the first half around their defensive third.

"I thought the subs really impacted the game. Do we create enough clear chances? I don't know. I'll have to look back. But I thought we had a lot of brilliant moments."

Duff's men remain unbeaten and top the table after three games.

"It's all about just build and build and build, and chipping away at your points," he said. "So we'll take the point and we'll move on.

"You'd have to say, brilliant start to the season. I think maybe two points that got away tonight because the lads aren't up there celebrating, they're disappointed but, we've come out of the blocks again and long may it continue."

Shamrock Rovers manager Stephen Bradley felt a draw was a fair result, but that his team had had "the better chances".

"Aaron Mc[Eneff] if he