Derry City out to pop Euro Cork at Turner's Cross

​The Brandywell outfit need just one point from their remaining two fixtures to qualify for Europe for a third successive season - an achievement Higgins insists is the 'minimum requirement' given how the club has 'moved on drastically' in recent years.

Bearing in mind the investment in players under Higgins' tenure, the Limavady native knows the importance European prize money is to the club and how beneficial this year's lucrative run in the Uefa Europa Conference League was to his war chest leading into next year.

St Patrick's Athletic leapfrogged Derry into second spot last weekend and while European football is the ultimate mission now the league title has gone, anything other than a runners-up spot would be deemed a disappointment for Higgins' troops who have been the biggest threat to Shamrock Rovers throne for much of the season.

Higgins isn't looking as far as the final league standings just yet, however. He knows his team face a difficult task against a Cork City side battling for their Premier Division survival and he's hoping to 'nail down' European qualification tonight before looking ahead to that crunch final game of the season against St Patrick's Athletic at Brandywell next week.

"I'm extremely disappointed we're not sitting here and still in the mix (for the title)," he said. "It's been a frustrating year. Some good, some difficult. Obviously the European run being the real positive and we want more of that and make sure we go down here and get the job done and bounce into next week.

"We will worry about St Pat's after Friday night. All we can do is try and win our last two games. We know if we do win our last two games we finish second so that's the objective but we've loads of work to do before we can even talk about Pats.

"The minimum requirement nowadays for this football club is European football - that's the minimum requirement," he stressed. "And we have to make sure we get that nailed down.

"The club has moved on drastically in the last couple of years and the bare minimum is European football. We have to try and do everything to nail that down on Friday night."

While there's little difference in terms of financial reward for finishing in second as opposed to a third place finish, it would put down a psychological marker ahead of next season where it's expected to be a much more competitive playing field.

"All we can focus on, and it's a boring answer I know but we can look at where we can finish after Friday. We need to go down here and pick up three points. We know if we win our last two games we finish second but depending on how Friday night goes, we'll see.

"There's a lot of clubs investing. You've got Shelbourne who will invest heavily in their squad. You've got Bohemians, St Pat's, obviously Rovers and ourselves. Dundalk have a really good squad. You've Galway being promoted who will be really competitive.

"I've left a few out but those are the ones who will have really competitive backing in the transfer market so it will be a really competitive market this year given what the clubs have at their disposal now.

"I know we're talking about next season and we have a lot to do between now and next Friday. If you're looking ahead towards what will be coming further down the road then I think it's going to be a really, really competitive league going forward. There's no point talking about that until we get this season wrapped up and hopefully finish the season strongly."

With St Pat's hosting Shamrock Rovers in Inchicore, Derry could potentially move back above the Saints with victory over Cork.

That won't be such an easy task though according to Higgins who expects to be met with plenty of resistance from the Rebel Army.

"We know Cork won quite comfortably against UCD at the weekend so we need to be ready for them.

"They're fighting for their lives to avoid the play-off. We need to cement a European place so that's the task at hand. We need to go down there and be really professional and try and pick up the three points.

"It isn't an easy place to go and you would imagine there will be a vocal home support behind them. It's a difficult place to go to but we have to go there and do everything in our power to win the game.

"Cork are fighting for their lives. There's still life in them yet in terms of avoiding the playoff. So it's two teams with a lot to play for so it should be an interesting game.

"You see it in every league in the world where clubs who are fighting for their lives get big results when they need it. We need a big result. It's not as if we're going down there with nothing to play for. It's two teams who have a lot to play for going at it and hopefully we can come out on top."

Higgins must plan without the suspended Sadou Diallo for the trip after his sending off against Shelbourne last week while striker Jamie McGonigle is rated doubtful after picking up a knock.