Derry City end season in style

Like many fans I remember walking out of Finn Park after the defeat in our opening game and the talk was all of relegation.

I also remember that manager, Kenny Shiels did not share in the doom and gloom forecast and said at the time we would get better and we certainly did.

The vast bulk of the fans I have spoken to are more than satisfied with what they have seen at Brandywell Stadium this year.

Indeed, the standard of football has been good overall. The recent game against Bohemians and our earlier 3-0 victory over Shamrock Rovers were as good games of football as you would see anywhere.

Despite working with a ‘smallish’ squad and losing both first choice central defenders manager, Kenny Shiels clearly got the best from his players.

The manager himself is a genuine workaholic and he has managed to get his squad to buy into the ‘one for all and all for one’ philosophy.

In the past Derry teams always found it difficult to come from behind in games but this side doesn’t know when it’s beaten.

Local talent has clearly been given it’s chance and it must surely give our hard working backroom staff great pleasure to see the likes of Conor McDermott, Rory Holden, Ben Doherty and Patrick McClean making the breakthrough to the senior side.

I’m sure there are other youngsters on the ‘fringes’ who will make their debuts in coming seasons and the manager will see they get their chance.

With the work on the Brandywell about to start we can look forward to exciting, if uncertain, times ahead.

To those negative head in the sand individuals who don’t see all this as positive and pragmatic, I say get on board the bus or get off it!