Brian Maher mentality key to Derry City success

Bohemians vs. Derry City

Dalymount Park

Tonight, 7:45pm

Brian Maher has made the headlines after the last two Derry City games, and for entirely different reasons, but he is not getting carried away by either incidents. 
Such is the life of a goalkeeper that every action can be over-scrutinised, and it was quite a few days for the 22-year-old between last Monday and last Friday. From making a mistake which led to Jack Byrne scoring for Shamrock Rovers at the Brandywell to producing a sensational stop from Frederick Draper to help his team win at Drogheda, Maher has been at the forefront of everything Derry City. His performance at Weavers Park last week showed without a doubt that he wasn't going to let the error against Rovers weigh him down. 
"It doesn't affect me that much because it's one mistake and it's one action," he said. "Passing is something I'm quite good at and part of my game that I really value. It was one mistake; everybody makes them and it's just about how you come back from them and I wanted to put it right.
"I'm only 22 and I'm gonna make mistakes. If I make a mistake it's about how you come back. I have good support around me and the boys have my back. it was a tough one to take, and especially with it being on TV there were a lot of opinions about it, but it's part of my game that I really value so it's just water off a duck's back. You just have to bounce back and learn. We went through the video after it and we'll learn from it. It's only going to make me better so you have got to use it as a positive sometimes." 
Maher's save has since been shown in slow motion on social media, showing just how spectacular the stop was and Maher admitted that he was glad he could contribute to the team's success at such a big moment. 
"I was walking off the pitch with Doc, the goalkeeping coach and we were talking about how we do that during the week, probably 25 times a week," he reflected. "It's something that we do, turning off your post and getting across your goal as fast as you can and try and make myself big and hope it hits you. thankfully it did thank God because it's a huge chance for them. 
To be fair with the boys in front of me and the way the team is playing, I don't think we give away a lot of chances. It's maybe not a part of the game that gets talked about a lot and fair enough. I just want to to be there when I'm needed and thankfully I was."

Revenge
Having gained some revenge for Drogheda's win at the Brandywell last month, the Candystripes are hoping to do the same against league leaders Bohemians, who also won in Derry in April. A victory at Dalymount Park tomorrow would see City go level with the team that has led the way for most of the season so far. 
"It's another big game now on Friday and a win would put us in a really great position," Maher agreed. "After we lost to Rovers it was like the end of the world. There are going to be ups and downs all year and our dressing room is never going to not stick together. We need everybody together, pulling in the same direction so we'll be fine. We know the quality that's in that dressing room. We know at times we haven't hit the heights that maybe we could but we're working really hard and it's a good dressing room and we'll get there." 
It is another huge weekend for Derry City who follow up tomorrow's game at Bohemians with a home game against Dundalk on Monday night, two of the toughest opponents in the Premier Division. 
"The big games are going to come thick and fast," Maher acknowledged. "We're not even near halfway yet. There are a lot of games to be played and you'll have to throw in Europe for some teams and the cup. There's going to be a lot of twists and turns but we'll work as hard as we can to finish as high as we can."