Daniel Kelly feels his best form is returning after a difficult start to life at the Brandywell

Derry City vs. Bohemians

Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium

Kick off 7:45pm

Daniel Kelly feels he is finally getting back to his best football after a difficult start to life at the Brandywell.

The former Dundalk winger has yet to hit the heights he did at Oriel Park and is still awaiting his first goal after 15 appearances, but he feels he is finally rediscovering his confidence after illness plagues his first few weeks of the season.

Kelly came off the bench to set up both goals in the 2-0 win at Waterford recently and he has started against Galway United and Shelbourne since, with his manager clearly also feeling that his form is returning.

“Moving up here it's a big change for myself,” he explained. “Coming in when it was the first couple of games, I wasn't well. I was sick so I knew it was going to be a sort of slow start for me but obviously I hadn't got going in the first few games. It was sort of disappointing but I just went behind the scenes and was working my nuts off really and speaking to the manager and he's backed me the whole way along with his staff.

“I think starting on the bench against Waterford might have actually helped me in kick-starting my season. Obviously, I came on for Ben who was sick that day as well. The last three games have probably been my best performances all year. I'm just lucky now that I'm feeling good and confident again. To be fair, I've got a great reception coming off so that helps as well with the confidence.”

Kelly was as disappointed as anyone in red and white when Sean Boyd’s last-minute equaliser denied Derry City top spot in the Premier Division on Monday, and agrees it was a big opportunity missed.

“Obviously we'd seen the results before the game and we knew if we'd won we would have been top,” he reflected. “But just to concede late on, regardless of where you're at on the table, is obviously disappointing for ourselves. Obviously, we weren't at our best. I thought second half we were a lot better. We've got the goal from that with a great finish from Paul. But it's just disappointing. We should really hold on to those leads. It's happened to us a couple of times this year but we'll definitely learn from it.”

That was the second time this season that Derry City have lost leads against top of the table rivals late in the game, and Kelly admitted it is a difficult psychological challenge having a narrow lead late on in these types of games.

“I think it's just natural really when it's a one goal lead,” he said. “Naturally the other team is always going to have a chance and you're going to drop that little bit deeper. But we need to have the mindset of getting two or three when we’re 1-0 up and putting the game to bed. That’ll come. It's still early doors in the season. Obviously, we've got a lot of lads out that are huge players for us as well and huge experience. If the lads come back, I'm sure everything will be okay.”

Looking forward

Kelly is now hoping that Derry City can get back to winning ways against Bohemians and that he himself can continue to improve with every passing game, and finally get that first goal.

“Funny enough, the last three games have probably been my best games,” he stated. “Obviously, the chance against Waterford, I was about to tap it in and I got hacked down for a penalty. I haven't actually had a chance since I'm playing well and confident. Hopefully, I'll keep this going and now on Friday, I'll get a chance and hopefully take it.”

“We knew coming into the year that teams have obviously strengthened everywhere and it's going to be hard to go on good streaks, but if you do go on a good streak, you're looking up rather than down. We just need to try and focus on each game as it comes. Obviously, we're home again here so we want to be taking three points, but if you go on a run in this league, it's a huge opportunity to build up a little gap.”

Meanwhile, Kelly admits he is saddened to see the plight of his former club Dundalk, who fell five points adrift in last place in the Premier Division following Monday’s defeat in the Louth derby against Drogheda United.

“Yeah, it's obviously sad to see,” he agreed. “I was there five years. I know all the lads there. But the position I think they're in at the minute is quite false, because I've watched a lot of their games and spoke to a lot of the lads. They're sort of getting done by one goal. Even the other night when I was watching them. They were sort of unlucky set-piece, I can say that. But I've now done my mind that they'll come back and they'll be okay this year, I think.”