Ruaidhri Higgins hoping to match Felix Healy's record against Dundalk tonight

Ruaidhri Higgins will become the first Derry City manager since Felix Healy in the 1996/97 title-winning season to beat Dundalk in three successive league games with victory tonight.

While recent results have gone against the Candystripes, with just one point from the last nine available, they remain huge favourites to beat a Dundalk side who are without a win in seven league games so far and who are rooted to the bottom of the Premier Division.

Derry City fans may have forgotten just how badly their team suffered against Dundalk in the Oriel Park’s decide of glory, with their team managed just four wins in 36 games against the Lilywhites in all competitions going back to 2011 until the end of Declan Devine’s second spell as manager in 2021.

Since then, that record has improved significantly, with City managing four wins in the past 11 meetings, and 2023 passed without any kind of defeat to Dundalk, the first time that has happened in 26 years.

Regardless, Higgins is by no means expecting a walk in the park for his team, with Stephen O’Donnell and his players desperate for their fortunes to change.  

“It's a difficult game, I know that,” he said. “As staff, we've obviously spent the last few days analysing all their matches and if you look at all the games bar the Sligo game really there's been one goal in the game. They went to Tallaght on the opening day and drew the game which is no mean feat and they actually went to Shelbourne last week and played some really, really good stuff.

“They can look at their last couple of performances and see improvements so they've still got the likes of Robbie Benson, John Mountney, Andy Boyle, those types of players on their team so it's not going to be a walkover that's for sure, but we need to play on the front foot.

“We're here at home in front of our own supporters and we need them. We need to come on Friday and get right behind the team and let's see if we can produce a good display and hopefully pick up the three points.”

Dundalk have plenty of problems these days, with the team managing just two goals in their seven games this season, but they will take heart with City’s recent results, particularly Galway’s win at the Brandywell. As that result showed, nothing can be taken for granted in the Premier Division.

“Regardless of their league position, regardless of their points, they have still got players who have been there and done it so we need to be ready and treat them with respect,” Higgins warned. But also, we're at home in front of our own fans and we need to play on the front foot and get them behind us and try and get a big three points.”

Higgins has a friendship with Dundalk boss Stephen O’Donnell and his own history with the club having served there as a player and a coach. But he admits all that is irrelevant this week in the lead up to a must-win game.

“There won't be many conversations this week, that's the nature of the game,” he laughed. “I have a history at the club. When you're in football and when you're in this game it's a ruthless, ruthless industry and you cannot think about other clubs. You have to be selfish, you have to think about your own front door and I just want us to be ready and produce a good performance so I have no time to be honest with you to concern myself with anyone else.”

“We're professional; he'll want the three points for Dundalk, and I want the three points for Derry City Football Club and we'll do everything in our power to try and do that this Friday.”

‘No excuses’

With Sadou Diallo and Patrick McEleney still weeks away from a return to action, and Pat Hoban ruled out of tonight’s game with injury, Higgins remains without a number of key players. Ben Doherty and Cameron Dummigan could be involved against Dundalk, but the City boss remains short of his full squad.

“The easy thing to do when you've dropped a few points in recent weeks is to start making excuses and I don't want to do that because we've got a lot of good players here and again the team that takes the field on Friday night will be good enough to win the game if we apply ourselves properly and approach the game in the right manner and we get everyone behind us then it gives us an opportunity so we're looking forward to Friday night and trying to get about three points. I have tremendous belief in the players and have every confidence that they will show what they are capable of.”