Nov 05,2024
Derry City manager Ruaidhrí Higgins feels that a Sports Direct Men's FAI Cup final victory would be hard-earned, after coming through a difficult route to the final unscathed.
During their run to the Aviva Stadium, the Candystripes have seen off a resurgent St Pat's, the champions of the second and first tiers in Cork City and Shelbourne, as well as negotiating a tricky semi-final trip to Bohemians.
Their record is all the more impressive given that they won the four ties without conceding a goal, while finding the net a total of eight times at the other end.
The cup run has coincided with their league form tailing off, resulting in Shels winning the title in Derry's own back yard last Friday night, but Higgins isn't convinced that this adds any extra pressure ahead of their showdown with Drogheda United on Sunday.
"When you get to a cup final, there's always a huge responsibility to win, he said. "There's pressure to win. That's human nature, that's why we're in the game. I'd rather be going to Dublin on Sunday than not, that's for sure.
"If you look at the route that we've had to take to get to the final, I can't ever remember a more difficult route for a team. The players deserve so much credit. We've scored eight goals in the four games and conceded none against really, really good opposition, some of the best teams in the country.
"If we play well and win it we will have absolutely deserved to win it. St Pat's, away to Cork, Shelbourne - league champions - and away to Bohemians in Dalymount Park.
"If we play well on Sunday and win it then it would be an outstanding achievement."
Higgins and Derry will have recent cup-winning experience to draw on in this year's final, having dismantled Shelbourne 4-0 in the 2022 showpiece.
Eight of the eleven that started that game are available for Sunday, while captain Patrick McEleney will be playing in his ninth FAI Cup final, if he is declared fit.
Higgins feels that this experience could be valuable when it comes to beating a battle-hardened Drogs side on Sunday.
"It always helps, the more people who have sampled that type of fixture," he added. "It's Patrick McEleney's ninth cup final, we'll see how he goes this week.
"We have a lot of players who have good experience. The ones who haven't played in cup finals, the likes of Paul McMullan and Danny Mulllen, they've played in huge matches in Scotland.
"Drogheda aren't short of a bit of experience as well. There are some really experienced campaigners in their group and I'm sure the ones who haven't played in finals in their group will lean on the other lads.
"We know we're coming up against a really tough and difficult opponent but we know that if we play and express ourselves in the way that we can, we can win it."
As a player and manager, Higgins has been involved in half of Derry City's six FAI Cup wins to date and he was keen to acknowledge the effort supporters must put in in order to make it down to Dublin for the big day.
"What motivates us to win the trophy is for the amount of people that are travelling," he said. "It's handy if you're a club in Dundalk, Drogheda, Dublin, even Waterford to a certain extent, the Aviva's not that big of a journey.
"To travel three-and-a-half hours from here in the numbers that we travel in, that's why it's important for us to try and lift this trophy.
"I said it after the cup final a couple of years ago, it's for the people of Derry who hadn't won the FAI Cup for 10 years previously now have the chance of doing two in three years. It's to bring joy to a city and community. That's what drives me."
