Ciaran Coll still dreaming of a League of Ireland and FAI Cup double for Derry City despite setback
Derry City are four points adrift of Shelbourne but take a. break from League of Ireland action this Friday to focus on their FAI Cup semi-final date with Bohemians at Dalymount Park.
by Garry Doyle · Irish MirrorDerry City star Ciaran Coll insists the Candystripes won’t suffer a sporting hangover after Friday’s disaster in Drogheda.
The double chasers blew an opportunity to close the gap on league leaders Shelbourne who were held at home by Sligo Rovers on Friday and who then lost to St Pat's last night at Tolka Park. But instead of the gap narrowing, it has widened from three points to four, after Drogheda shocked Derry with a 2-1 victory in Weavers Park.
And that has been the constant theme of Derry’s last two seasons, where every time they appear to have turned a corner, they run into a fresh roadblock. But despite winning only 13 of their 31 league matches this season, they are not yet out of the title race. Indeed, last night's loss for Shels has kept it in Derry's hands. Four points adrift, they have a game in hand on Shels, who they host in the last game of the season. Coll said: “We were all disappointed by the Drogheda defeat. We have had setbacks before and rebounded from them really well the following week. So, hopefully everyone is raring to go because Friday’s FAI Cup semi-final is a massive game for us.”
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Every game left fits into that status for Derry which is why a frustrating year could yet finish up as a memorable one. But if that is to happen then they desperately need to find consistency. Across the last two years that simply has not been visible.
When asked why that was the case, Coll replied: “There is not really much to explain. You look at every team, they have all setbacks this year as well. I think things just didn’t go right for us on Friday night, so hopefully this Friday, put those mistakes behind us.
“What has happened to us has also happened to other teams that are challenging for the league. Look at Pats-Rovers, it was 3-0 to St Pat’s on Friday night. It is a hard one to take when you do get those setbacks. There is not really a right answer on it.”
And yet when the mood takes them, Derry have been able to come up with the right answers, destroying both St Pat’s and Shelbourne in the FAI Cup this season en route to the semi-finals.
For Coll, returning to the Aviva yesterday for a media day, brought back happy memories, for it was here, two years ago, that he enjoyed the best day of his career, when Derry defeated Shels to win their sixth FAI Cup.
That result also doubled up as his first medal as a pro - 14 years after his League of Ireland career commenced.
Coll, 33, said: “Bringing that cup back to Derry, with thousands of people outside the Guild Hall waiting on us, that brought goosebumps. Hopefully, we can bring it back to the city again for everyone, it would be a massive achievement to do so.
“That day in the Aviva, I will never forget it as I was able to take my wee boy onto the pitch and he will be able to look back on that as well and say ‘Daddy took me out onto the pitch.’ Hopefully, I can do it again, with my other wee boy as well. It will be a tough game for us on Friday (against Bohs) but hopefully, we can come out the right side of it.
“Once you win a trophy, it makes you want to continue to win more, it gives you that bit of hunger to get more. I don’t have much playing time left and I just want to do my best for the team and the city, to get more silverware into the club. I would love to do it again.”
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