“Character and guts and belief and determination!” That’s what pleased Derry City boss Declan Devine reckoned it took for his team to claw back a two-goal deficit and earn a 2-2 draw with high-flying Shamrock Rovers at the Tallaght Stadium. Devine w
“Character and guts and belief and determination!” That’s what pleased Derry City boss Declan Devine reckoned it took for his team to claw back a two-goal deficit and earn a 2-2 draw with high-flying Shamrock Rovers at the Tallaght Stadium. Devine who thought Rovers “might have been out of sight at one stage” praised the contribution of net-minder Peter Cherrie. “Our goalkeeper tonight was magnificent to keep us in the game. Whenever we do play at the levels we’re capable of playing at, we’re a match for anybody in this league.” “When you come to Tallaght, you know you’re in for a tough night. There were a lot of mistakes from both sides so I’m delighted to pick up a draw.” Some inspired switches by the Derry dugout rescued a perilous situation when Rovers went 2-0 up. “I think they could see that we were in the ascendancy,” said Devine of Rovers’s decision to introduce Ethan Boyle for playmaker Jack Byrne. “We brought very positive subs on in Aidy Delap and in Eoghan Stokes. They had a very big influence on the game and Junior moving to centre forward worked really well for us.” And Junior popped up with that vital equalizer to send the small away following in the South Stand into raptures. “Shamrock Rovers were excellent – they’re a fantastic side with fantastic players but it was testimony to our boys that we dug in and didn’t chuck the towel in,” was the Derry supremo’s honest assessment. “If you play for Derry City, you never ever give up,” was the former goalkeeper’s description of his required Candystripe player. While obviously pleased with the point, Devine is looking for more. “We shouldn’t have to come from 2-0 down. I would like us to go 2-0 up! "When this group matures and grows into itself and starts believing in themselves and each other, I think there‘s a lot more to come.”
