IT’S SET TO be an emotionally charged evening at Maginn Park in Buncrana as Derry City return to action for the first time since the untimely death of captain Ryan McBride.
The 27-year-old passed away 12 days ago, just hours after leading the Candystripes to a Premier Division victory over Dundalk. A young Derry side haven’t played a game since, as they mourn the sudden loss of their inspirational leader.
Veteran goalkeeper Ger Doherty will now wear the captain’s armband, starting with tonight’s visit of Bray Wanderers. Derry are keen to continue their 100% start to the season, but manager Kenny Shiels knows that it will be a challenging occasion for his team.
Shiels’ side have been faultless so far this season, although the postponement of their games against Limerick and Galway United last week means that they trail leaders Cork City by six points but with two games in hand, which have been rescheduled for 25 April and 8 May respectively.
In an interview with The Irish News, Shiels said: “The players have performed tremendously well this season and that’s the focal point of what tonight is about, because if we digress from that and move too much emotion towards Ryan, then Ryan will not be happy with us.
“We must devote our emotion to winning the game. Nothing else will be relevant. If we start moving our emotions to another field then we will not be successful.”
He added: “If we go high negative with our emotions, then we have commitment and anger and we cannot be high negative. We have to be in high positive, where we have got commitment and we have got drive and that’s where we need the players to be — because we are transferring football emotions from life emotions so the emotions are important to how we can give of our best.
“I’m never going to ask the players to switch off from their emotional feelings towards our former captain; but if they aren’t directing their emotions properly to getting the best out of themselves, then they won’t be in the team.
“We have got to have people who are mentally strong and can provide the right emotions to win a game of football.”
