It’s make or break for City says Strabane man Boyle

GERALD Boyle says it’s make or break for Derry City when they take on St Patrick’s Athletic in their penultimate SSE Airtricity League of Ireland game at Richmond Park tomorrow (evening).

Given that leaders Shelbourne host second-bottom Drogheda United and third-placed Shamrock Rovers are away to already relegated Dundalk, the Candystripes will almost certainly need to secure maximum points to take the title race down to a final day showdown against Damien Duffy’s Shels at Brandywell.

As things stand Shelbourne are top with 57 points, Derry and Shamrock Rovers are both on 55 while in-form St Pats are coming fast on the rails with 53.

Pats are on a terrific late run and have won seven games on the trot. That said City have already beaten Stephen Kenny’s side four times this season and Boyle, who has been part of the Derry backroom team for two years, insists the Candystripes will have to make that five if they are stay in the title race until the final weekend.

“It’s been a roller-coaster season but we are still in contention for everything,” said the Strabane man.

“At the same time we could win the league or miss out on Europe just as handy.

“St Pats on Friday night is a massive, massive game. We have to win it to set us up for the final day.

“Pats are on a serious run, they are going really well, they are definitely the form team in the league.

“It’s going to be a tough game although we have managed to beat them four times this season; that’s the other side of it.

“It’s all to play for and Richmond is a good surface which both teams will enjoy.

“Playing away from home could mean a little less pressure on us and sometimes that works for you.

“St Pats have a lot to play for as well. They still have an outside chance of winning the league but they’ll want to make sure they qualify for Europe with it being so lucrative.

“We need to concentrate on ourselves and try and get a result on Friday night. We have to win, there is no other way around it.”

Derry City has only won the League of Ireland on two occasions.

The Candystripes first clinched the coveted crown in the 1988-89 season when the late Jim McLaughlin was manager and they triumphed again when Felix Healy led them to glory in 1996-97.

Twenty seven barren years on current boss Ruaidhri Higgins is hoping that he can make it a glorious hat-trick before going on to complete the double by winning the FAI Cup.

Derry play Drogheda in the showpiece decider at the Aviva Stadium on Sunday, November 10, but, according to Boyle, that date with destiny is very much on the back burner until league matters have been concluded.

“The week after qualifying for the final we made whatever plans we had to make so that we could park things until the end of the season,” added the former Ballinamallard United defender..

“We’ll go back and look at it then. It’s hard not to keep a wee eye on it because it will be a big day out and there will be a lot of hype with supporters and things like that.

“But right now the focus is solely on league matters. It’s been 27 years; it’s the one the club really wants.”