Shamrock Rovers vs. Derry City
Tallaght, Tonight. KO – 7:45pm
Peter Hutton and Pat Fenlon will be reunited this evening as Derry City travel to Tallaght to take on Shamrock Rovers.
Fenlon, who managed the Candy Stripes for a brief period in 2007, has been named as Trevor Coly’s successor, following a run of form that brought three defeats in four games for the Dubliners, including last week’s 4-1 demolition at Limerick.
Hutton will be hoping to ruin his former manager’s big day however as he leads Derry City into the game looking for a fifth consecutive league win.
Wins over Athlone Town, Bray Wanderers, UCD and Bohemians have seen Derry score 16 goals, and concede only one, and victory tonight would close the gap on Rovers in fourth place.
Hutton however is sweating on the fitness of key personnel, including Rory Patterson and Michael Duffy, who have hit 27 goals between them this season.
Patrick McEleney, Barry Molloy and Nathan Boyle are all also set to undergo late fitness tests ahead of this evening’s game.
Regardless, Hutton is confident that his players can continue their good form.
“We’re looking forward to it because it’s a big game,” he said. “We’re coming into the first series of fixtures again and they are very difficult fixtures.
“Rovers have a new manager at the helm so they will be all out to impress and stake a claim to stay at the club. It’s not ideal to be playing a manager when a new manager comes in because they will up their game to show what they’re capable of. In saying that we just have to look after ourselves. We’re in good form at the moment so we’ll have no fear.”
City will hoping for better fortune against Rovers this evening, with the Candy Stripes denied a famous win at Tallaght on the opening day of the season due to a 94th minute equaliser from Ciaran Kilduff. Rovers won 1-0 at the Brandywell when the teams last met but since then there has been a change in management and under Hutton, Derry City are an entirely different prospect.
“Tallaght is a good pitch and it will lend itself to the type of football we like to play,” Hutton added. “It doesn’t hold any fear for us. We’ll go down there and give it a go and try and play the football we have been playing of late. The players have been playing with great enthusiasm and flair and they are enjoying their football and we’re looking forward to the game.”
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