Derry City must live with expectation says manager Tiernan Lynch

The arrival of proven League of Ireland talents like James Clarke, Darragh Markey, Josh Thomas, Rob Slevin and James and Patrick McClean sent the pre-season hype into the stratosphere, expectation levels which were only whetted by last week's dramatic opening day victory over Sligo Rovers.

Another sell out is expected against Ciaran Kilduff's team who have been busy in transfer market themselves, former city striker Danny Mullen among a number of new faces including another ex-Derry player in Rob Cornwall and plenty of experience through the likes of Bobby Burns and Keith Buckley who has been appointed captain after arriving from Bohemians in December.

With a new goalkeeper in Conor Kearns (on loan from Shelbourne), former Kerry FC attacking midfielder Ronan Teahan and ex-Bray defender Harvey Warren, it will be the first outing of the season for Kilduff's team who arrive as something of an unknown quantity, though Lynch knows that won't change what is expected of his team in the second of four successive home fixtures.

"Listen, it's a bit like the Sligo game and all the next four weeks, all the pressure will be on us," admitted the Derry City manager, "But that's something we have to live with and something that we have to embrace and enjoy as best we can.

"As I said against Sligo - and I will say the same about playing Dundalk - we are not going to get this all our own way on Friday night and it is important that we weather storms when they come and try to force what we are good on at them. We have to implement our game and our game model and hopefully we come out the right end of it."

Lynch said his squad was carrying "one or two niggles" following last week's intense season opener during which he praised the role of the home support in his team's second half turnaround.

"If you win, yeah," he smiled when asked if it's a big advantage having their first four league fixtures at Brandywell, "Our results at home weren't great last year at times so it's important we try to build on that (Sligo win) and make the Brandywell the fortress that we have been talking about.

"Obviously the pitch is difficult but that's something the club are dealing with so we just have to be patient and make as best as we can of what we have at this stage. Great credit to the players, there is no complaining, there is no yapping or moaning. They are rolling their sleeves up and getting on with it.

"Listen, I think the fans probably played a part in that win," he added of the victory over Sligo, "They made it what it was. Right through pre-season we have been trying to convey to the fans about being our 12th man and they were definitely that against Sligo.

"You felt the place, players and staff, it was absolutely rocking and they probably dragged us through that game. I thought that for 30 minutes or so we were well below power but the fans were brilliant with us. They stayed patient with us, kept supporting us, were noisy and probably, as I said, dragged the players right through to what we ended up getting."