Mark Connolly has told Derry City to put their Club Orange FAI Cup final celebrations on hold and focus fully on tonight’s away league trip to Drogheda United.
Derry City booked their place in next month’s final against Waterford with a win over Galway United this weekend, but Connolly said the cup run now has to wait. With four league games left, he wants his players thinking only about the next challenge as they try to finish as high as possible in the table.
“Our target is fourth and we’ll be giving everything to try and get that,” Connolly said. “If we don’t, it certainly won’t be for the lack of trying, but that’s our goal from now until the end of the season.”
League focus comes first
Derry are fifth and two points behind Shelbourne with a game in hand, which keeps fourth place within reach. Connolly’s message is simple: the cup final is important, but the league run-in still matters, and the club want to make the most of both competitions.
He was clear that the result in Galway has already been put to one side. “Obviously the weekend was brilliant in Galway and I was delighted for the players, everyone associated with the club and the supporters, but the cup final talk is parked now,” he said. “The final will take care of itself when it comes around. We’ve four league games to look forward to and while they’re all tough games against top sides, our only focus is Drogheda.”
Tough test away to Drogheda United
Tonight’s match takes Derry to Drogheda United, a venue Connolly expects to offer a difficult night. He said Derry know what to expect from Kevin Doherty’s side and that every league game now carries its own demands.
“We know it’s going to be tough at Drogheda — it always is,” he said. “Every game is tough and every team brings different demands. Drogheda are a good side and Kevin Doherty’s teams are always difficult, everyone knows that.”
There may also be some rotation in the coming weeks, although Connolly said it will not be wholesale change. Derry’s players have trained well, he said, and some deserve minutes after helping the club through a busy spell.
“To be honest, we won’t be making drastic changes,” Connolly said. “The boys have done really well and we want to keep momentum. So yes, you might see a bit of change in the coming games and weeks — not for the sake of it, but because boys deserve it.”
For Derry City, the picture is now clear. The cup final is coming next month, but the immediate task is far more straightforward: keep the league push alive and try to turn four remaining games into a late move up the table.
