DERRY CITY LOOKED fragile and bereft when they were comfortably beaten 4-1 by St Patrick’s Athletic on 5 June.
Candystripes boss Ruaidhrí Higgins was deflated by what he saw from his players at Richmond Park, coming off the back of a goalless draw with Shelbourne and 1-0 defeat at Sligo Rovers.
It wasn’t just the results that led to a sense of despair.
Patrick McEleney had been forced off against St Pat’s with a recurrence of an Achilles injury that continues to limit his game time and required a trip to a specialist in London.
Michael Duffy was withdrawn at half-time after suffering a knock while midfield pair Cameron Dummigan and Sadou Diallo were also hooked by Higgins having been overwhelmed and outfought.
“We’ve shown a wee bit of a soft centre in recent weeks that we haven’t had in the last couple of years,” Higgins said afterwards. “It’s something I have to fix, something we all have to fix, the players the staff.
“Any time a team that has beat us, they’ve had to fight for it and earn it whereas I didn’t think Pat’s had to do too much.
“From the first goal onwards, every second ball, every 50-50 tackle, they were the more committed side. That’s an old school thing to say but the basics of the game are extremely important, and it’s important not to neglect them because all good teams are built on the foundation that they do the basics really well. We were well well below par in terms of the basics.”
The mid-season break offered some respite.
Derry were four points off leaders Shamrock Rovers after that loss to St Pat’s and are actually five adrift of the Hoops now with the Saints also still above them in second, but the change in feeling about what this season offers is palpable.
Their European exploits have helped with that shift in momentum and a game in hand on the domestic front against UCD should see them close that gap – but it’s the thrill of what the next week offers in defining their season that has caught the imagination.
“You can smell it, you can see it on peoples’ faces. It gives you pride and satisfaction,” Higgins said on Tuesday.
He was speaking ahead of tonight’s attempt to overturn a 1-0 deficit in the second leg of their Europa Conference League third-round qualifier against Tobol of Kazakhstan. Derry’s thrilling 5-4 win against KuPS from Finland in the previous round came on the back of edging Faroese side Havnar Bóltfelag 1-0 on aggregate.
It has been a European campaign that has helped breathe new life into the club, even if the ‘home’ leg this evening has to be staged at Tallaght Stadium instead of the Ryan McBride Brandywell in order to meet Uefa requirements.
On Sunday they will return north for their FAI Cup clash with St Patrick’s Athletic, a tie that could well see the victor emerge as favourite for the competition – although Bohemians and Dundalk may have something to say on that front should they come through their games with Rockmount and Bray Wanderers, respectively.
“The cup is fabulous and we’re a cup city but we need to win the league,” Derry chairman Philip O’Doherty said after they lifted the trophy last November. “That’s the golden prize really. We’re coming for the league next year. That’s the plan. I think we need to target winning the league.”
Next Friday will see attention turn to Dalymount Park for a Premier Division clash with third-placed Bohs, and a chance of really stating their intent to claim the “golden prize” that brings with it the platform to enhance their European dreams via the champions’ path in 2023/24.
They could be out of Europe and out of the cup with only the league to fight for by then, or their season may well continue its dramatic ebb and flow on three fronts.
“The players relish it. I’ve been through it a few times in my career when games are back-to-back,” McEleney, who will likely make his 50th career European appearance tonight, added.
O’Doherty stated his own priority in the haze of cup glory but in the midst of a defining week Higgins is relishing each challenge.
“I really don’t think you can pick and choose. You have to enjoy it, you have to stay in the moment and have to really embrace it.”
The vulnerabilities of June seem a long time ago now that there is glimpse of glory over the horizon.
