DamienDuff doing it his way as he steers Shelbourne towards safety

"I'm no badge-kisser but I am a real Shelbourne man," said Damien Duff after seeing his side earn a point at home to Bohemians.

Duff was pictured sprinting in front of the Shelbourne support fist-pumping the badge as he made his way into the dressing room at full-time.

He has focused new eyes on the domestic league. A former Premier League winner, an international centurion and a high profile departure from the international senior men’s coaching ticket, Duff remains box office.

His first steps into senior management at Shelbourne has been eye-catching. The Drumcondra side sit in seventh position and remain 14 points ahead of the relegation places despite playing two fixtures less.

There has been a determination to play football in a progressive style - an admirable, if sometimes risky approach. Many newly promoted teams in the past have aimed to be durable, hard to break down and proficient at getting men behind the ball in an effort to be as tough to beat as possible.

"Considering it’s a team that's just been promoted, I think the style of football he’s tried to play has been great. You see what he’s been trying to do, he’s trying to own the ball, he’s trying to move teams around," said Graham Gartland on the Listen to the RTÉ Soccer podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

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"Normally when a team comes up, and I’ve been there previously whilst playing in Scotland, you come up and you’re trying to stay in games, you’re trying to be more dogged, he’s really attacked the league in terms of trying to play football in the right way where normally you just try and get up and survive."

Despite the attacking intent, Sean Boyd is their top scorer with seven goals, Jack Moylan is