Derry Manager Higgins Emphasizes FAI Cup Victory as Crucial

Derry City manager Ruaidhri Higgins acknowledged the necessity for his team to secure victory in the FAI Cup Final. This comes after he observed Damien Duff and his Shelbourne squad celebrate their League of Ireland title win against the Candystripes at the Brandywell, a result that, according to Higgins, makes an FAI Cup win imperative to prevent the season from being characterized as one of “huge underachievement.” The Candystripes, despite an inconsistent season, had the opportunity to claim their first League of Ireland title since 1996-97 by winning their final two Irish Premier Division matches. However, losses to St Patrick’s Athletic and the newly crowned champions Shelbourne on Friday night resulted in Derry finishing in a disappointing fourth place, eight points behind the leaders. Consequently, they now face Drogheda United in next weekend’s cup final, where a victory is essential to salvage their season and secure qualification for European football. Speaking to BBC Radio Foyle, Higgins stated, “If we don’t [win the FAI Cup] it will go down as an extremely disappointing year.” He further emphasized, “I can’t put any other spin on it. It’s the way it is. We have to win the cup to take some satisfaction and pride out of the season.” While a pitch invasion by Shelbourne supporters prevented Higgins from immediately congratulating the victorious Shels boss Damien Duff, the Derry manager conceded that the Dublin club were “worthy” title winners. Higgins remarked, “They had a difficult spell but they dug in and won their last three league games of the season to get over the line.” He then specifically mentioned the “real personality and character” within the Shels squad, acknowledging that this “is something we possibly need to look at” for his own team. He elaborated on Derry’s shortcomings, stating, “In games where away to Drogheda and away to Sligo, places like that, we haven’t picked up anywhere near enough points.” He clarified, “Last week [against St Pat’s] wasn’t the one that cost us. They have been too many over the course of the season and truth be told, we’ve let ourselves down in the same venues. We and I have to take responsibility for that.” Higgins characterized Derry’s inability to seize a significant opportunity to win the title, following a campaign where they secured only 14 victories in 36 matches, as a “bitter pill to swallow.” Nevertheless, he affirmed that his team must reorganize and prepare for the FAI Cup Final scheduled for 10 November. He concluded, “We have nine days to prepare for a massive day in the football calendar and we need everyone together, everyone behind us to go and try and lift one of the two trophies that’s available in this country.”