Brian Maher calls on Derry City fans to place trust in Mark Connolly

​Derry's No.1 has called on supporters to unite behind interim boss Mark Connolly and the players as life without Lynch begins at Brandywell Stadium on Friday night when Sligo Rovers roll into town.

Former Northern Ireland and Aberdeen winger Niall McGinn will join Connolly in the home dugout tonight after his appointment as first team coach, the Tyrone native returning to Foyleside after leaving for Celtic 17 years ago.

While Lynch's days were numbered, Maher admitted he was 'in a little bit of shock' when chairman Philip O'Doherty delivered the news at an impromptu team meeting at Owenbeg shortly after the Belfast man and his brother Seamus were dismissed on Wednesday morning.

The Raheny native acknowledged the ongoing negativity surrounding the club and some of the 'unacceptable' situations that have arisen over the past few months on and off the pitch.

However, he stressed that the togetherness in the dressing room could never be questioned.

Maher hopes Derry fans can rally around Connolly and ensure a memorable finish to a turbulent 2026 campaign.

"The fans have seen the effort is there," said Maher. "We need to move on. We have to win Friday; it's a big game for us and hopefully the fans come out in their numbers.

"Mark is going to need the support as well. I spoke to Mark a lot especially since the contract stuff and he's trying to put things together behind the scenes with signings and the academy.

"I don't think this was something he expected but we also believe he can do the job. We trust him. We know the knowledge he has in the game, even from just being captain. He's going to need the fans as well. He will need the support of the club, the players and everybody.”

"We've got 10 games plus the cup. It's going to fly by, but it can be really enjoyable. We've seen teams go on runs in the past. It's something we've spoken about; we just need to put results together.

"We're all a bit in shock today but it's a new chapter for us. We've got to turn the page and start winning games. Where we are right now is just not good enough and there are still massive opportunities.

"We all know Mark. We have a brilliant relationship with him. He was our captain, we loved playing with him but we also know the demands he will put on us.

"We know the honesty you'll get. He will call out things, good and bad but will also give you the love when you deserve it.

"At the minute we just need to get back and enjoy it. There's been a lot of negativity around the club. You can't ignore it especially when you live every day up here.

"Everywhere you go you hear it. So it's something we need to move on from and put results right because we're not in a great position at the moment."

The former Ireland U21 international dismissed outside criticism of the club as 'irrelevant' and refused to get dragged into the 'nitty-gritty' of why Lynch lost his job or 'stick the boot in'.

"We've only found out very recently and I don't want to come out and speak about that sort of stuff when a man's lost his job," began Maher.

"I don't want to sound like I'm sticking my foot in or anything like that. Whatever about all that stuff, I suppose the results just haven't been there for us.

"I suppose we tried with players and shapes and stuff like that and that's something Philip [O’Doherty] spoke about, he gave it as long as he could and wanted to give Europe and bring in some fresh faces.

"Look I've lived here for five years now, and I've been around the club and the city. Some of the things that have gone on both on the pitch and off the pitch have been unacceptable – not right.

"So to hear us being called a laughing stock is not nice and it should hurt people. It should hurt the players and it should hurt the players that the manager has lost his job as well.

"The only way to put it right in my opinion is by starting to win football matches. All that stuff is a little irrelevant if people want to speak from outside who haven't spent any time inside. I think we have a brilliant dressing room of players.

"I think the quality in the room is incredible. There's good people in the dressing room. We're very together. I don't think that's ever or should ever have been questioned: how together the players have been.

"We've spoken about it all year, even through difficult times and that's not going to change. We have a massive game on Friday and need to be judged on our football now.

"It's never nice whenever someone loses their job but given our position, we need points very, very fast. That's the cynical nature of football: how fast you have to move on.

"As players we will speak to Tiernan and thank him for his effort over the last 18 months. As a group we're going to have to move on."