Cameron Dummigan believes Derry CIty must be 8 from 10 to challenge for title!

The Co. Armagh native has endured a frustratingly stop-start season after tearing his hamstring in pre-season and injuring his ankle at the start of the summer. However he's been back to his best in recent weeks which is a major boost for City boss Ruaidhri Higgins as the Candy Stripes battle it out with Shamrock Rovers, St. Pat's, Bohemians and Dundalk at the top of the table.

"We need to try and win every game," admitted Dummigan, speaking after it was announced Derry's meeting with Shamrock Rovers will be televised live by Virgin Media on September 15th."I feel we have to win at least eight, but we also have to beat the teams around us. We’ve Bohs, Dundalk, UCD then Rovers. Every game is going to be tight."

And that run begins with Friday's trip to Dalymount to face a Bohemians side level on points with the third placed Candy Stripes, but with a game more played. The teams have one win apiece from three meetings earlier in the season, Bohs winning and drawing at Brandywell while Derry scored a 1-0 victory at Dalymount in May.

Derry go into the game with the heartache of two cup exits inside three days still fresh, though Dummigan stressed there were plenty of positives to take from both performances.

"(It's) Difficult to take but we can’t dwell on it too long," he explained, "We’ve a big game coming up at Dalymount. We have to be positive and focus on that. When you lose two games like that, you always want to bounce back and put things right. We’ve a lot of positives to take from those games.

"Of course, it’s going to hurt everyone because of the way we played in both games. We did very well. We didn’t concede a goal. It came down to a flip of a coin and we were on the wrong side of it unfortunately."

Dummigan started out his professional career with Burnley before moving to Oldham and then Dundalk, before eventually arriving at Brandywell in December 2021.

"I was over at Burnley when I was younger and there were a few Irish lads there; Kevin Long was there, Daniel Lafferty, Stephen Ward, a number of Irish. They were brilliant for me. Sean Dyche was manager, a very good manager and I got on really well with him.

"I did well in my first year. I was loaned to Oldham in my second year and they bought me permanently. In 2019, I moved back to Dundalk under Vinny Perth and then Derry at the start of last season.”

Now Dummigan's focus is on doing his utmost to secure what would be only a third League of Ireland crown for Derry, something he acknowledges would be a special achievement.

"I was part of the 2019 squad that won it with Dundalk so I know what it means to everyone. To win the League for Derry would mean a lot, not just for me, but for the whole city."