DERRY CITY: '˜There's no need to panic' - insists Nicky Low

The 25 year-old Scot, as one of the older members of the team, believes he should take more responsibility in City’s bid to return to winning ways tomorrow night as they make the trip to Sligo.

While the form book doesn’t make pretty reading for City fans, Low isn’t too concerned, insisting morale remains high in the camp.

And the midfielder takes some comfort from the league table which shows Derry in fifth place and with two games in hand over Cork City, Dundalk and Bray Wanderers who occupy the top three.

“It’s only a matter of time before it turns for us,” said Low. “There’s no panic, we’ve still got a couple of games in hand and it’s crazy as we’re still sitting fifth. So we’re still there or there abouts and there’s no panic at this stage,” he added.

“Yes, we have games in hand but it’s up to us to go and win them and that’s what we need to do. If we win on Saturday I think it could jump us up to third place going into Tuesday’s game against Limerick. We have a few back-to-back games so if we win two games in a row the confidence will be flying again and you fly up the table. But I feel as I’m one of the oldest I need to take responsibility.”

Low missed the 2-0 EA Sports Cup defeat to Galway on Monday night due to a tight hamstring but he’s declared himself fit to face the Bit O’Red. And despite exiting the competition at the second round, he believes the team can take plenty of positives from the performance.

He got his first taste of the North West derby in the 2-0 loss to Finn Harps last Friday night where both he and Aaron McEneff were clearly targeted as the men who get City ticking in the middle of the park.

Low reckons opposition teams are reluctant to play attacking football against City, putting the onus on the Candy Stripes to ‘be clever’ to ensure they score the crucial first goal.

“I thought Harps tried to shut us down and try and stop us playing but I thought we still passed the ball well and still got on it. We know teams are going to come and try and stop myself and Aaron (McEneff) playing as we try and get the team playing from the back.

“Teams have watched videos and they know how we play and Kenny (Shiels) has warned us about that. It’s up to us as a team to pass the ball and move and be clever and work against teams like that.

“Teams seem to sit back against us so the first goal is crucial for us in games, then at least teams will come out and have a go at us and leave spaces for us in the final third.

“It’s not as if teams have been passing the ball through us to score goals it’s been sloppy goals we’ve conceded to be honest. It’s not a case of us not being able to defend it’s just sloppy goals and we’re working hard on the training ground to rectify that.

“It’s just a case of taking our chances. I’d be worried if we weren’t creating chances and we were conceding then the panic button would be pressed but we’re playing well and creating chances so it’s only a matter of time.

“We’ve been working hard on finishing, not just the strikers but the midfielders as well.”

He’s hoping a win at the Sligo Showgrounds tomorrow can kickstart another winning sequence.

“The fans have been brilliant and we have to give them something to shout about. They work hard during the week and come and spend their money to watch us and we have to put on a performance for them. When we were winning games we didn’t get too far ahead of ourselves saying we were going to do this or do that. We know what football is like and you can get shot back down to earth very quickly and that’s what happened.

“But the mood in the camp is good, it’s a great bunch of boys and Kenny is a great manager and the staff and everyone is very close. Hopefully we can take our chances on Saturday and maybe go on and win by a few.”

The midfielder is on loan from SPL side, Dundee until July and while the sacking of former boss, Paul Hartley - who was replaced by interim manager Neil McCann - has put his future in doubt, Low is keen to concentrate on the job at hand at Derry City,

“I don’t really know what’s going on at the club,” he said. “Dundee is struggling a bit a the minute and I haven’t spoken to them. I know Neil (McCann) from my time in Soctland as a player but I haven’t spoken to him. We’ll wait and see what happens. I’m just concentrating on Derry.”