Ambitious Derry take first steps to a new level

FAI Cup final follow-up:With two thirds of the treble they chased through the tail end of the season safely secured, Derry City's players will now keep a watchful eye on the club's efforts to replace Stephen Kenny, with leading squad members anxious that the new man be capable of engineering the title success that narrowly eluded them this year.

"Stephen is a great manager and I wish him all the best over in Scotland but, of course, there's concern about what will happen now that he is gone," says Barry Molloy, one of the stars of the campaign just ended.

"He is probably the best man-manager I have ever played under. He gets the best out of everyone; people were probably in the comfort zone before he took over. He has got them going again to be some of the best players in the league.

"You are hoping that the next manager is going to come in and do the same sort of thing, to push us on to the next level.

"I am sure he will at least have the same ambitions as the players and the board have, whoever is appointed. I am looking forward to it more than anything."

Shelbourne's Pat Fenlon had been the front runner for the job but his appointment has become a great deal less likely over the past week or so as he continued to ponder his future at Tolka Park while Derry directors were keen to get their new man installed.

However, with a young squad - drawn almost exclusively from the local community - that look certain to challenge for the league next season and with a place in Europe secured, there certainly will be no shortage of candidates for the post.

Whoever is in charge, the players will return to pre-season intent on maintaining the progress made over the two years Kenny was at the helm. A League Cup last year was followed by a cup double this time around.

"It will be the treble next year and Uefa Cup the year after," jokes Molloy.

When the 23-year-old takes a moment to consider more seriously what lies ahead, however, he observes simply: "We want to keep improving. You set your targets at the start of the year and, obviously, we will put the league down as one of those."

The former Derby County and Drogheda United midfielder admits to having been a little relieved in the wake of Sunday's 4-3 win over St Patrick's Athletic, but insists the disruption to the team's preparations caused by Kenny already having taken over at Dunfermline was never a significant factor in the camp.

"The preparations were grand," he says. "We were focused as players - that's what you have to do - just looking forward to the final and doing well in training. What was going on with Stephen didn't affect us much as players."

Asked if Kenny was given a hard time by squad members anxious to exploit the timing of his departure for a little light relief in the build up to the game, Molloy laughs. "To be perfectly honest, he wasn't there that often to give him any stick about it. It was probably behind his back more than anything."

When the new manager arrives Molloy could do worse than to sit him down to watch a tape of Sunday's final, for the City midfielder proved to be one of the contest's key figures, as he often has in the past nine months.

The player's first year at the Brandywell was disrupted by injuries and suspension, but his second has gone a long way towards establishing him as one of the league's leading players.

Though Kenny has admitted he is in no position to bring players with him due to the financial situation at East End Park, Molloy has attracted interest from other British clubs and it has most recently been suggested he might maintain his links with goalkeeper David Forde by also moving to Cardiff City.

For the moment, though, he insists he is happy to have made an impression with his home town club and to have been part of a memorable cup final.

"It's been a good year for the club and I feel I have done okay.We wanted to end the season on a high, and we did that by winning the cup. Obviously, we were disappointed not to win the league but we had put that behind us and set our goal to win the cup and we did that.

"In the end it was an unbelievable game," he continues, "what a way to close the stadium. It was tough out there. Everyone thought the conditions were going to ruin the game and it was hard to get the ball down to play on the ground but there were seven goals and I think everyone would agree that it was a good final."