Derry City will be challenging for title come the business end of season - predicts Declan Devine

​The Bohemians boss was back on familiar ground last Friday night at Brandywell where he's spent two stints as Derry boss and having now met his former club three times this season already, two of those encounters on Foyleside.

Therefore he's in as good a position as anybody to make a call on the Candy Stripes' title credentials.

Devine will be hoping his own team are still in the mix come the end of October after a blistering start to the season before stuttering into the break.

They go into midseason interval eight points behind leaders Shamrock Rovers but with a game in hand while Derry are six points off the top.

Little wriggle room for either team when the league resumes but Devine is confident Higgins troops will run Rovers all the way.

"I think Derry are very good and I think they will have a very strong second half to the season," predicted the Creggan man. "Ben Doherty has been one of the positive players in the league this year. Once he gets a number of games under his belt, he's be a top player.

"There's a lot of good players at this club and the manager is top level.

"I've known 'Higgs' since he was 12 or 13 years of age and he's put so much work and effort in here. There's absolutely no doubt, there's a fantastic group here and I've no doubt come the end of October they will be right up there challenging."

Similarly Derry have hit a rough patch over the past couple of weeks leading into the international fixtures, with a four match winless run proving damaging. It's been a topsy-turvy season so far for most clubs at the top end who have all at some stage gone through a fruitless run.

"Look at St Pat's on Friday night," said Devine. "They had won four or five on the spin and then lost against Drogheda. It's a mad league this year but it will find its feet. It will taper down.

"It's just League of Ireland football, everyone will have dips but it can be brought back. You can climb the table quickly and drop the table quickly.

"We'll just be assessing where we are but I know there's more to come from us."

From the three matches Higgins and Devine have gone head to head, it's honours even with Bohs winning and drawing at Brandywell and Ryan Graydon's strike was enough to clinch maximum points at Dalymount for the visitors.

Derry felt aggrieved after Friday's stalemate having been denied a clear-cut penalty at the death. Devine agreed it should've been awarded but he believes the artificial pitch at Brandywell is holding Derry back.

"We haven't carried any luck in a while and looking back it's probably a penalty but at the same time we've been punished in other games where we haven't had that bit of luck," he said of that controversial incident in the 90th minute.

"There's so much onus on the officials at the minute. They all try their best. We've been on the receiving end of some really poor decisions ourselves but we all make mistakes and it's important that everyone involved in the league and in the game continues to get better.

"I think it was a scrappy game. The pitch isn't conclusive to good football. I know that better than anybody. I don't think that was the best we've been or the best Derry have been.

"It's two good sides. At the same time there was more in both teams. We're disappointed we didn't play to the levels we did but we're also happy enough that we've come here and not played well but takena point. We have to strive to get better.

"We're 25 weeks into the season. Last year they finished with 46 points, sixth in the table. We're just trying to evolve with a new group of players.

"We've got a new style of playing that Bohs didn't play over the last couple of seasons.We're on course to improve but we'll be coming back after the break with a lot of determination to try and push on.

"I'm disappointed we've left points behind in certain games. Obviously Cork was one the other day but I think we've assembled a good squad that will only get better. We will continue to strive to get the club back to where we think we should be.”

It’s a well earned break for everyone after a punishing schedule.

"The players from all clubs are looking forward to the break. It's a mad opening to the season in terms of the intensity of the games, the expectations of all the clubs early on in the season and to fit 20 odd games in, it's a bit reckless but also exciting for fans. I think all players, managers deserve a few days off."