SSE Airtricity League Premier Division
Derry City v Drogheda United (Friday, 7.45pm)
RUAIDHRÍ Higgins has called on his Derry City side to keep improving their home record, starting at home to Drogheda United.
With the season getting going again after a short summer break, the Candystripes know three points on Friday evening, would match the total number of wins they managed at the Brandywell in the whole of last term.
Higgins wants to make the ground a fortress, but is expecting a tough game against Kevin Doherty’s rock-bottom United side.
“It’s not going to be straightforward, Drogheda have some talented players and a good management team,” said the Limavady man.
“If we come here with any sense of snobbery, or thinking that it’s going to be straightforward, then they’ll do us.
“You look at some of the games they’ve had recently, they drew with St Pat’s, they were 2-1 up going into injury-time with Galway and lost 3-2, they were 2-0 up away to Waterford and lost the game, so they haven’t been getting put away by any stretch of the imagination.
“Over the last couple of years, we all know that they’ve caused us problems, and we need to prepare properly, come here with the right mentality, and hopefully our crowd get right behind us.
“I am surprised at their league position, if you look at the form guide it’ll look like they’re really struggling, but if you actually go back and look at the games, and how the games went, then they’ve been extremely unlucky, but we have to focus on ourselves, and try and pick up a big three points.”
City defeated Bohemians thanks to Daniel Mullen’s stoppage-time goal in their final game before the break to secure their third victory in-a-row to keep the heat on leaders Shelbourne.
And the Derry gaffer wants that winning momentum to continue.
“That’s the plan, and hopefully we can continue that momentum, and see if we can win some more games of football,” he said.
Tonight’s encounter will be the Foylesiders’ first home match since they easily saw off Galway United earlier this month and Higgins hopes his side have a big support.
“We haven’t had a Friday night game here in a while, and we won’t have another Friday night game here for another while, so hopefully the fans can come and get right behind us,” he said.
“Our supporters are well educated in the sense that we know that Drogheda is never ever ever straightforward, and we’ll need everybody that comes to the ground on Friday to try and get us over the line.”
Elsewhere this evening in the Premier Division, leaders Shelbourne face Galway United at Tolka Park, champions Shamrock Rovers travel to Sligo Rovers, Waterford make the trip to Dundalk and Stephen Kenny’s St Patrick Athletic entertain Dublin neighbours Bohemians.
