Derry's game at Tallaght in doubt

Shamrock Rovers vs. Derry City | Tallaght Stadium | Sunday, 7pm

Tiernan Lynch said he and his players are fully focused on this Sunday’s game against Shamrock Rovers at Tallaght going ahead, despite uncertainty over the fixture taking place.

Sunday’s game will not go ahead if Ballkani FC and Prishtina, both from Kosovo, progress in their Europa Conference League Second Qualifying Rounds this evening. Prishtina are home to Irish League side Larne with the tie at 0-0 from the first leg, while Ballkani are 4-2 up against Floriana. Success for both would mean that Shamrock Rovers would have to travel to play Ballkani in Kosovo on Tuesday, August 5, 48 hours after their scheduled league game with Derry City.

As it stands, the game in Tallaght goes ahead, but that could easily change by this evening. Regardless, preparations for the trip to Dublin remain the same for Lynch and his players.

“We have to prepare for this game being on Sunday, and that’s what we’ve done over the last couple of days,” he said.

“We are under no illusions on a weekly basis, Rovers are a very good side. I know they have a game but with the size of the squad that they have, and the options that they have to tweak, they’re probably going into Thursday night thinking that the game’s over and they’ll probably get to play around with their team going full strength for Sunday and that’s very much where our mindset is.”

With eight points between Derry in third and Rovers in first, victory is something of a must-win for the Candystripes if they are to regain any hope of a title challenge in the final 11 games.

“I keep saying this, but every game for Derry is a must-win game,” Lynch insisted. “There’s no point going to Tallaght and beating Rovers on Sunday, and then going and losing to Cork. I think the big thing for us is that we have to approach every game ow home and away that they are must wins.”

The timing of the game against Rovers is perhaps more important this week as it puts focus back on matters on the pitch after a difficult week off it given the trouble in and around the Brandywell Stadium at the weekend.

“They probably don’t come any bigger I suppose, it’s one that we’re definitely, definitely looking forward to,” Lynch acknowledged. “We obviously went down there at the beginning of the year and we drew with them; there were two men sent off but we felt a bit harshly done by with our sending off, but it was what it was.

"Then we were hugely disappointing with the result at the Brandywell. That was a game that was there for us to go on and take and we gave Rovers a get out of jail, card with the goals that we conceded, so they are things that we have to go and put right.”

The club released a joint statement with Bohemians earlier this week in reaction to the violence in the Bogside and Brandywell area on Friday night, and would not comment further. The statement read; ”Derry City FC and Bohemian FC, on and off the field, from board level right down to our respective fanbases, have enjoyed a fantastic relationship down through the years.

Both clubs are committed to working together to do everything in our power to protect and strengthen that relationship into the future.

It is therefore with great regret to both clubs that incidents, before and after our game at the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium on Friday night, from individuals with no interest in supporting either team, put the safety of genuine supporters at serious risk.

The safety of everyone – supporters, players and staff – is, and will always be, of paramount importance to both clubs.

For Derry City FC’s part, the club has been working tirelessly over the last couple of days with our match night security team to establish the circumstances surrounding the disturbances and to reassess the procedures in place for travelling supporters.

Both clubs have also been working in tandem with the FAI to agree a way forward that protects all who attend our games and maintains the long-standing and valued relationship between both clubs.

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All parties are very much aware that this is an ongoing investigation. That process must be respected, and therefore neither club will be making any further comment.”