Higgins dismisses suggestion that Sligo Rovers may struggle in 2024

Sligo Rovers vs. Derry City   |   Sligo Showgrounds   |   Saturday, 7:45pm

Ruaidhri Higgins has dismissed any suggestion that Sligo Rovers may struggle in 2024, insisting critics don’t understand the quality that John Russell has added to his squad.

An injury-time Bohemians equaliser denied Sligo an opening day win at Dalymount Park last week, a result that surprised many, but not the Derry City manager.

“I don’t share that opinion at all,” he insisted. “When you look at their front three alone at the minute, you have Simon Power one side, Hartmann on the other side and Max Mata through the middle, and that’s an extremely exciting and talented front line. You have Chapman and Malley added behind that, so I don’t share that view at all.

"That’s maybe people looking at last season and not understanding what they’ve brought into the club. They have also added Ed McGinty who was a very popular figure there previously, so Sligo will be okay, no doubt about it.”

Derry City head to Sligo on Saturday hoping to make it two wins from two at the start of the new season, with Higgins well aware of the struggles his team have had there in the last two seasons.

The City boss won on his first two visits to the Showgrounds in 2021, but has since taken just one point from four visits. Last season in particular was painful for Higgins and his players, with each defeat striking a fatal blow to Derry’s title hopes.

“It’s something that we’ve discussed,” he admitted. “We need to pick up points in these venues this year and Saturday is the first test down there this season, and we want to go down there and win.

They seem to find a real edge when we come to town and we have to expect that again. We know they have really good players and even looking at their bench last week, they have real good quality. It’s going to be a tough fixture but we have to go down there and back ourselves.

“If the game is going to be physical, we can handle that, if it’s a pretty game of football, we can do that as well, so we might need to show both sides of ourselves in the one game, and if that’s the case, then so be it.”

Hoban stat

It was revealed this week that Pat Hoban, in the game against Drogheda, equalled the most touches taken inside the opposition box by a Derry City striker in a single LOI game in all of last year. That remarkable stat, from Andrew Cunneen from ‘Stats Perform’ (@Cunneen92), shows the hunger of the club’s new striker.

“When you put the ball in the box, he’s good at finding it and good at finding space in the box,” Higgins agreed. “It’s an interesting stat, I actually didn’t know that one. It’s good and hopefully it continues.

“It’s brilliant for Pat (to get his first goal). He thrives off people putting pressure on him to score goals. He’s done that his whole career and it will be no different here. People will expect that he gets our goals and that’s the type of pressure that he really enjoys.”

While Hoban is certain to start on Saturday, there are still doubts over the availability of both Mark Connolly and Patrick McEleney. Higgins will wait until match day to make a decision on the pair.

MISERY… Derry City fell to successive 1-0 defeats at the Showgrounds last season. (Photo: Tyler Miller / SPORTSFILE)

“If they’re fit and available, brilliant, but Mark’s injury is to his side, his upper body, and we’re waiting on the scan results to see what comes back,” he explained. “It has settled a bit, but we’ll know as the week goes on if he’s going to be available or not. Patrick has been working with the physios and Kevin during the week and we’ll know tomorrow.”

Attendances right across the league reached a new high last week, with footballs fans across Ireland showing their support for the League of Ireland product. A packed Brandywell was just the tip of the iceberg with grounds across the country sold out.

“I don’t know what the connection is now to the league,” Higgins said. “Is it publicised better? Is it the quality on the pitch? Are people responding to that, or are supporters sick of spending fortunes to go and watch the big clubs in England when they have more of a connection to their clubs at home? I don’t know the answer, but I would say it’s a touch of all of it.

“It’s brilliant and it’s want you want to be a part of, and I think if the facilities improve and the infrastructure improves then that will continue to grow as well. Once we get the right investment throughout the league it’ll thrive. At the minute we’re doing rally well in terms of crowds and atmospheres in the grounds so long may it continue.”