TITLE CLASH AT TOLKA - 'I know the players will step up'

Shelbourne vs. Derry City

Tolka Park

Tonight, 7:45pm

Ruaidhri Higgins believes Derry City will have a strong finish to the season, starting tonight in a huge top of the table clash against Shelbourne at Tolka Park.

While the Derry City boss does not believe that tonight’s game is decisive for the destination of this season’s league title, it is most certainly one that his team cannot afford to lose.

The Candystripes are three points behind the league leaders having played one game more, and defeat tonight could potentially leave them nine points off Damien Duff’s side with just 10 games to play.

A win however would blow the league title race open completely, taking the teams level at the top, although Shelbourne would still have that one game in hand.

“There's 33 points to play for. I don't think it'll be the deciding factor by any stretch. Another thing I would say is that Shamrock Rovers are far from dead and buried in my opinion. There's another couple of clubs creeping up behind as well. This is a really important game. There's no denying that but is it going to be a deciding factor? I doubt it.”

“We're going down to win the game. That's our ambition and that's what we're going to try and do. The players are in great spirits. We've had good preparation and will continue to have good preparation leading into the game, so, we'll definitely be going down there with the intentions of winning the game.”

There has been nothing to separate the two teams in recent times, with the last five games between Derry City and Shelbourne all ending in draws, three of which were scoreless. These are two teams and two managers who know each other very well.

“Bar the cup final, really, every game that we've played them over the last three years has been extremely tight,” Higgins acknowledged. “They've improved dramatically. Their squads have improved dramatically. They're a smashing team. They've obviously signed four big hitters in this window, so it's clear what their intentions are. They're a smashing team with full respect to them, but we know that we're capable of beating anybody on any given day if we're at our best.”

“It can be a moment of magic or a mistake or whatever. I think they'll come and have a go at us, and we'll have a go at them. It'll be an interesting game, and it's one to really, really look forward to and embrace, and that's why we're in football, for these types of games. I know our players will step up.”

Duff has been busy in the transfer market this summer so far, bringing in Ali Coote, Sam Bone, Harry Wood and Rayhaan Tulloch. For Higgins, that is a sign of serious intent from the Dublin side, who are within sight of the league title.

“People have talked about Shelbourne being defensively solid for a couple of years, but at the top end of the pitch now, they've got an embarrassment of riches and they've got real, real talent,” he said. “They're a much more rounded team, I would say, and they've kept that defensive solidity, so they were always going to improve.”

Derry City last won at Tolka Park in March, 2022 hen Ryan Graydon scored the only goal of the game in a 1-0 win, but goals, and wins against Shels have been hard to come by since. The Europa Conference League disappointment against FCB Magpies aside however, the Candystripes have picked up six wins in their last eight games in all competitions, including the demolition of St. Patrick’s Athletic in the FAI Cup tie at the Brandywell two weeks ago.

“I got asked before the game by someone in one of these that if you get knocked out of Europe will it have a real damaging effect on the rest of your season, but we responded absolutely brilliantly, beating a good Pats team as we've seen over the last week,” Higgins continued. “We've beaten a good Pats team 3-0 and should have won by more, so I think we've answered that question and I think we'll continue to answer that.”

All eyes are now on Tolka Park tonight, and a game which could well have significant implications for the title race.

“A win would be huge, but that's all it would be,” Higgins stated. “It would be fantastic. It would send us into the following Friday night full of confidence, I think. After, disappointingly, going out of Europe, we responded like true professionals against St. Pat’s and put on an absolutely fantastic display in the circumstances, and the players deserve huge credit for that. If we can continue that type of form, we'll be alright.”