Irish player of the week - Damien Duff

Remember the good old days when wingers used to do mad things like take on full-backs, beat them and gets crosses in? Well, by…

Remember the good old days when wingers used to do mad things like take on full-backs, beat them and gets crosses in? Well, by all accounts, Damien Duff gave a master class in the art on Saturday when, as one report put it, "his dazzling feet found their sparkle again" in Blackburn Rovers's 2-0 home win over Fulham. Duff hasn't had the happiest of seasons at Blackburn, but Brian Kidd's departure would appear to have given him a new lease of life and a more regular spot in the starting line-up. Saturday's win was the team's first in 10 games, with Duff, the man of the match, setting up Egil Ostenstad for the first goal and scoring the second himself in the 90th minute.

Mary Hannigan

Mary Hannigan

Mary Hannigan is a sports writer with The Irish Times