Derry City skipper Patrick McEleney's Brandywell ‘Treat’ for Daddy’s girl Saorlaith

The demand for tickets for Derry's 'biggest game in recent history' has been phenomenal as the city is gripped by cup fever but City skipper Patrick McEleney made sure he got his hands on one for the Brandywell club's self-confessed 'number one fan'.

Manager, Ruaidhri Higgins, players and club officials have been inundated with requests for the hottest ticket in town this weekend but McEleney has been 'tortured' by one particular family member and he made it his mission to get her a seat in the stands on Sunday.

The Candy Stripes captain's seven year-old daughter Saorlaith has travelled with her father and mother Aoibheann as his career took him from Derry to Dundalk to Manchester, back to Dundalk and finally back 'home' to Derry over the past six years.

But while she was only two months when the McEleneys first moved to Co. Louth, Saorlaith is very much a Derry girl.

McEleney shared an adorable moment with her as they walked hand-in-hand when she led the team out as mascot for the 1-0 win over Bohemians on her birthday at Brandywell last month and she wouldn't miss Sunday's huge semi-final fixture for the world.

Therefore 'Fats' had just one request when the tickets were being allocated to players for their nearest and dearest this week.

"As long as my daughter gets one that's all I care about," said McEleney. "She's Derry's biggest fan. So as long as she got one that's all that matters.

"She has me tortured about players every single day asking me questions; 'what's Brian Maher like?' 'What does Will Patching do?' So she was the only person I would have to listen to if she didn't get one," he laughed. "She was mascot at the Bohs game, I walked out with her on her birthday which was nice. She loves it."

It promises to be a special occasion for the club as they attempt to reach a first FAI Cup final since 2014 and so the anticipation for Sunday's game is understandable.

"It's been like this for a while now, the ticket situation for the big games," added 'Fats'. "Even last week against Finn Harps. The crowds have been amazing.

"I think that's credit to us and the fans. We've been playing good stuff and getting people back to the Brandywell from day one. It's something to really look forward to now."

No doubt Saorlaith, along with every other Derry fan, will be hoping for another big day out at the Aviva Stadium next month but McEleney isn't taking anything for granted against a Treaty side who forced Dundalk into extra-time in the cup at the first round stage last season.

McEleney came off the bench in the second half and broke down Treaty's resistance after a gruelling 104 minutes at Markets Field in Limerick.

The Shantallow man has featured in six FAI Cup Finals, winning three, his first in 2012 with his hometown club and knows it’s never easy to navigate your way to the league's showpiece.

The City players are fully aware of how much of a banana skin tie this could be and so McEleney has urged his teammates and the Brandywell support to be patient.

"We have to do our business," insisted the City playmaker. "They're a good side. I just use my story from playing against them when chatting to the boys. I played against them for Dundalk and they ran us to extra-time. I scored in extra time to win 1-0. You can get stung," he warned.

"Sometimes it just doesn't work out like you think it will. I think the fans will be huge for us but anybody expecting us to turn up and steamroll them, that's just not going to happen in a semi-final.

"Patience is the key for everybody on Sunday. It's not going to be won in five or 10 minutes. It could be one where we have to keep going and keep digging in. So we just need everybody together, the fans included."

After six trophy-laden seasons with Dundalk, McEleney believes winning the cup with Derry would justify his return home. When he signed, he declared he wasn't coming to put his feet up but was intent on winning silverware for his hometown club. He's determined to make that happen.

"They're dogged and fight for each other so it will be a tough game. But I'm not going to lie. It's about winning the thing now.

"We beat the best team in Ireland to get to the semi-final and in my eyes it's not even about getting to the final, its about winning it.

“We're in a good position and will do everything we can to go on and win it. In my eyes nothing less is acceptable.”