Planet Swans ArchivesIt’s not quite gone the way that Darryl Duffy would have wanted. A big money buy in the summer from Hull on the back of an impressive loan spell and it all seemed too perfect for him.
An instant starting place alongside Jason Scotland this season was there but the goals never flowed. One against Carlisle in September is the return he had next to his name before injury forced him off at Leeds and – just a 45 minutes appearance against Swindon later – he finds himself fit again but settling for a place on the bench.
The Swans have been unbeaten since Duffy’s initial injury with 13 points from 15 in the league and a JPT win to boot. Loan signing Warren Feeney has grabbed four goals in a period where the Swans have gone goal crazy (13 goals in 4 successive league wins) and Darryl now faces a fight to get back into the side.
“Injuries are part of football but it has been really frustrating time for me,” Duffy told the Western Mail
“I picked up a groin injury and maybe I pushed myself too much and came back a little bit to early which meant I aggravated it.
“I feel fit now but it’s a case of trying to force my way back into the side, which is no easy task.
“The team is flying at the moment and scoring goals for fun, so I can’t really complain at sitting out.
“All I can do is get my head down and work hard in training, and if my chance comes then look to grab it with both hands.”
He added, “I’d be surprised if the manager changes anything now. I know what it’s like to come in for a short time and do well so there’s no doubt Warren deserves his place.
“I’ve always thought you should never change a winning team and that’s the least the lads who have been playing deserve.
I’m so disappointed with the way the goals have dried up,” he said. “I’m not playing particularly badly but they haven’t been coming.
“I don’t think I’ve ever gone so far into a season with just one league goal before.
“It’s a test of my own character now but if I’m quite confident the goals will come.
“I will keep getting in there and make the same runs as I always have. If you start changing the way you play it doesn’t help – if sometimes either falls for you or it doesn’t.
“Last season here everything I touched went in and now the goalkeeper is making a great save or it’s hitting the post.
“It’s the way it’s been going for me but I’ve just got to keep plugging away as every striker in the world goes through these spells.
Duffy is not alone at Swansea – regular names such as Alan Tate, Leon Britton and Andy Robinson are all forced at the moment to play a part time role waiting for their chance which just shows the strength that is being built into the squad
“We all understand that the whole squad could be vital for us to beat Gillingham, whether that be from the start or from the bench,” added Duffy.
“There will be expectations for us to win, especially with the results we’ve been getting over the last four or five games.
“They have picked up lately and by all accounts they have been a bit of a bogey side for us in recent seasons.
“They will come here fighting for a point and they will try and make it hard for us so it’s up to us to break them down.”
