'We've got to catch Shamrock Rovers' says Derry City coach Andy Mitchell

​The Brandywell club's first team coach warned 'we've got to catch them, it's a simple as that,' after watching the Candy Stripes record their biggest league win since a 7-1 drubbing of UCD on Foyleside back in April 2022.

Jamie McGonigle scored a hat-trick on that occasion but on Friday night it was ex-Hearts hitman Liam Boyce who grabbed his first treble for the club to take his season's tally to eight.

There were five different goalscorers on the night including star man Michael Duffy who has been pivotal to Derry's revival since the midseason break. The 30-year-old has been heavily involved in 10 of the club's 12 goals during their four match winning run, including two stunning goals [against Shelbourne and Waterford] as he continues to roll back the years.

The win was Derry's fourth in succession but the manner of the victory over a shell-shocked Waterford was sensational as Tiernan Lynch's outfit appear to be clicking into gear at the perfect time.

It moved them to within eight points of runaway leaders Rovers with a game in hand ahead of the Dubliners' trip to Sligo Rovers last night.

With the Hoops preparing for a European journey and still to play Derry twice before the end of the season, Mitchell is confident the Foylesiders can stay in the hunt for a first league title since 1997.

"We're not looking at teams around us," said the Glengormley native. "We're looking at Rovers and we've got to catch them. It's as simple as that!"

"We're not looking to see if Bohs drop points or if Pats pick up points or Shels or Drogheda. We don't really care. We came here to try and do a job. To try and win this league. We've got to keep looking up and keep looking to catch Rovers.

"We've still got to play them twice so we have to keep this consistency going and hopefully when we play them we're in and around them and go and take our chance when it's upon us."

Derry were written off in the title race earlier in the season and slipped down into sixth spot after a 1-1 home draw with Galway at the start of June but Mitchell insists the priority isn't just qualification for Europe. They're looking upwards!

"Coming in here as management staff, we were under no illusions. We're not coming here to stay in the league. We're not coming here to make Europe every year. We need to win a league. And that's not to put pressure on us. This is why we came here.

"We want to win a league for ourselves and for this city because they deserve it and the fans deserve it but it doesn't come without hard work.

"Rovers are a good side but we're not looking around us now, we're looking to try and catch them. Every single performance is about trying to catch them and that's what we're trying to do." The Candy Stripes certainly can no longer go under the radar after Friday's eye-catching performance and seven goal haul.

"No 100 percent," he agreed. "You're obviously going to look at first place which is Rovers and then us in second who are the next team to try and catch them.

"There were people writing us off at the start of the season and rightly so. We didn't get the consistency in our game but we've managed to find it the past four games and we're working hard to try and keep this going.

"There's a really good buzz about the camp. There's a really good buzz in training and in that dressing room now and we want to keep it like that. But we have to demand standards and set standards. These boys have now set those standards and it's up to them now not to drop them.

"It's probably the hardest thing to pick up four wins from four but we've done it. We don't look too far ahead and keep building. We get back to work on Monday again and work on getting better and trying to catch Rovers."

It says a lot about the mentality in the dressing room when Mitchell, assistant boss Seamus Lynch and the rest of the backroom team were left genuinely frustrated with the concession of two avoidable goals. “Seamus [Lynch], I know you don't see him much but he will be absolutely watching those two goals and kicking himself. It's annoying and really frustrating because we were so dominant and in control in the first half.

“To concede that second goal was poor from our part and the boys will be kicking themselves but we have to focus on the positives and build on them.

“We wanted to keep four clean sheets in a row. On the flip side, we scored seven cracking goals which is great.”

So what’s been the difference in Derry’s approach to games since the disappointing draw with Galway last month? ”That's been the massive difference over the last three games. And that breeds confidence when you're running hard and fighting hard. When you’re on the ball and playing that type of fotoball it's superb.

“I think Sads [Diallo] coming back into the team has given us that platform to play but you've got to look at the workrate off the ball.

"When we lose it it feels like we have about 50 playrs on the park. There's players all over the place. Mickey Duffy tracking back, Gavin Whyte tracking back and we're really starting to press from the top. So it's a joy to watch both on and off the ball.”