Derry City hoping to claim second place in final game of the season

Derry City vs. St. Patrick’s Athletic

Tonight, 7:45pm 

Patrick McEleney says Derry City can have no excuses for falling short in this season’s title race, as they face St. Patrick’s Athletic on the final day with second place the only prize on offer.

A draw tonight will secure second place for the second successive season, and while European football has already been guaranteed, the expected title challenge to Shamrock Rovers fell far short of expectations.

“It’s not what we set out to do,” McEleney acknowledged. “It’s not as if we were setting up in pre-season to finish second, but the fact of the matter is we fell short and we want to try and do the business now on Friday.”

The City captain did admit that Shamrock Rovers deserved to be crowned champions, but also acknowledged that Derry City missed countless opportunities to catch them.

“You could say we threw it away, but there were loads of things that happened throughout the year,” he said. “It wasn’t one thing, it wasn’t two things, you’re talking ten things. At the end of the day, they deserved to win it and that’s it. It’s over the course of the year and it’s in black and white. There are no excuses to be made.”

It has been a particularly frustrating season for the Derry City captain, who has been unable to play a full 90 minutes since March 31, instead making cameo appearances in games since the summer.

“It’s been no secret about the injury I was trying to get through and that makes it ten times worse whenever that frustration is piling up with the frustration of the results. It’s been difficult, there’s no point lying about it,” he said.

“I’ll go for the surgery now and try and get it fixed, but I’ve just been playing and trying to get through it. It’s so frustrating really just trying to get off the bench and get whatever minutes you can and get out there and try to help. Obviously, during the European period I was just coming off the bench and stuff like that which was frustrating, but it is what it is.”

As a forgettable season for him personally comes to an end, McEleney admitted he remains very optimistic that he can finally put the problem behind him.

“It’s about getting it fixed now and being ready, coming back, which I will be in my eyes,” he stated. “I’m optimistic about it. It’s not been ideal, but I’m just looking forward to getting going again. I said to the manager the other day, I just can’t wait to the new season to be honest.

“The procedure isn’t as complicated as it seems. I should be back sharpish. It’s not like a six-month or an eight-month job, it’s a quite quick return, so it’s about getting it fixed, getting it done when the season is over and getting the head down.”