Dylan Connolly was quick to play down suggestions Bohemians are title contenders ahead of facing Derry City, the chief putative challengers to Shamrock Rovers’ throne, at Dalymount Park tonight.
Though Bohemians sit fourth in the table, they are level on points with Derry and just five behind leaders Rovers, who they travel to play next week, in what’s shaping up to be an intriguing run-in to the season.
“No, not at all,” was winger Connolly’s prompt response to the question of Bohemians being in a title race.
“We are only a new group. We’re only starting. Just count the number of new players we brought in at the start of the season? We are just trotting away trying to get a European place, to be honest with you, and take each game as it comes.
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“We’ve Derry tonight and then Rovers. You would be mad to think beyond that. They are two very tough games. We’re prepared for Derry and then we go to Tallaght.”
Connolly is conscious Derry arrive in Dublin a wounded animal having cruelly gone out of two cup competitions over four days last week despite not conceding a goal.
All the more heartbreaking was the fact Derry were the better team in the second leg of their Europa Conference League tie with Kazakh side Tobol, winning 1-0 for an aggregate draw, before losing a penalty shoot-out.
They then again lost on penalties to St Patrick’s Athletic in the FAI Cup last Sunday.
“It’s difficult to take, but we can’t dwell on it too long,” said Derry defender Cameron Dummigan. “We’ve a big game at Dalymount. We have to be positive and focus on that.
“When you lose two games like that, you always want to bounce back and put things right. We’ve a lot of positives to take from those games. Of course it’s going to hurt everyone. He [manager Ruaidhrí Higgins] was a wee bit hurt for us because of the way we played in both games. We did very well. We didn’t concede a goal. It came down to a flip of a coin and we were on the wrong side of it unfortunately.”
Like Connolly, Dummigan is underplaying Derry’s title aspirations, despite City having a game in hand away to bottom side UCD, insisting they’ll need a very strong finish to the season to reel in Rovers, who they meet at home on September 15th.
“I feel we have to win at least eight [of 10 games], but we also have to beat the teams around us,” said Dummigan. “We’ve Bohs, Dundalk, UCD then Rovers. Every game is going to be tight.
“I was part of the 2019 squad that won it with Dundalk, so I know what it means to everyone. To win the league for Derry would mean a lot, not just for me but for the whole city.”
Rested from a fortnight’s break, Shamrock Rovers face Dundalk at Tallaght Stadium still missing the injured Jack Byrne, though manager Stephen Bradley has defenders Sean Hoare and Lee Grace back fit along with wingers Trevor Clarke and Neil Farrugia.
Fifth-placed Dundalk, who’ve beaten Rovers in their last two games at Oriel Park, including knocking them out of the FAI Cup, travel in the hope of ending a four-year wait for a win in Tallaght to keep their own ambitions on track.
Tonight fixtures (7.45 unless stated)
Premier Division
Bohemians v Derry City
Drogheda United v Cork City
Shamrock Rovers v Dundalk
UCD v St Patrick’s Athletic
First Division
Athlone Town v Wexford
Bray Wanderers v Waterford
Finn Harps v Longford Town (8.0)
Galway United v Cobh Ramblers
Treaty United v Kerry FC
