Captain McEleney urges Derry City team-mates to grab the headlines at Tallaght

Patrick McEleney knows what it takes to win at Tallaght.

The Derry City captain has enjoyed some big wins at the home of Shamrock Rovers over the years, early on in his career with the Candystripes and more recently with Dundalk. Teams rarely get anything from the home of the champions however, where they gave up only four points in total last season. But McEleney has been there and done it, and insisted it is all about taking the big moments when they come.

“It will be a tough game down there because their home form is amazing, so we will be setting up all week and getting ready and looking forward to the game,” he stated.

“It’s moments in the big game and if you grab your moment then you can settle and that’s how they go usually. It’s whoever grabs the headlines. We’re two good teams and I’m sure they’ll respect us as much as we’ll respect them so we will just go and try and play and try and win the game.”

Rovers have been pegged back to draw in both games so far, and had players sent off in each, with Roberto Lopes, Lee Grace and Dan Cleary all suspended for tonight’s game.

McEleney grabbed his first goal of the season in the victory over Cork City last week, the midfielder curling the ball into the net from 20 yards, making it his first in almost a year back at Derry City. It was also his first goal scored at the Brandywell for Derry City in seven years, his last coming against Bray Wanderers back in October 2015.

“I was thinking about that the other day,” he admitted. “Last year was about just trying to get settled and get a flow and get a run of games rather than thinking about targets to be honest. Now I’m in a better place.

“It was a brilliant pass from Ben (Doherty) because I didn’t think he had seen me. I was praying he seen me because I had loads of time to set myself and shoot. It was a brilliant pick out when you see it back and it started outside the post and went back in, so it worked out.

“I know I need to get more. I’ve set myself in my own head, my own target to try and get more goals, so it’s a start. We got the goal at a good time and we settled. It wasn’t pretty and it wasn’t amazing, but we won 2-0 at home, and we deserved to win.”

McEleney didn’t play in the 1-0 defeat at Tallaght last May, but he did in the 1-0 defeat there in October, a result which effectively ended City’s title hopes for 2022. While no such drama will unfold so early on in the new season, McEleney knows the importance of winning against the club’s biggest rivals.

“It’s a big game and I’m sure they will say the same,” he said. “It’s just two teams going out to win the match. It’s going to be a high-tempo game, with no hiding place and the best team will win, which usually happens.

“It’s still wile early. They have been here before and they know how to win leagues and know how to claw things back. They will not be flustered. I know their players and they’ll not think about it.”

Meanwhile, McEleney admits he is not at all surprised by the start Bohemians have made to the new season. Former City boss Declan Devine has started his new role at Dalymount brilliantly with victories over both Cork City and Dundalk and Bohs now sit top of the table as a result.

“They have good players,” McEleney said. “Decky was here and did a brilliant job so it’s no surprise. They have top players and they have obviously signed rally well. They have signed numbers as well and they obviously have backing so it’s no surprise.”