Derry City's Patrick McEleney wants to lift FAI Cup next month

The talented midfielder, who set-up Jamie McGonigle’s opening goal against Treaty United on Sunday, admits winning trophies was a big reason why he decided to return to his home town club this season.

McEleney, who has won everything which the League of Ireland has to offer, feels that the Candy Stripes now have to focus on getting the job down against Damien Duff’s men.

"It's brilliant and it's something the club deserves to be honest," he insisted. "The club has been sitting still a wee bit too long and I'm delighted for everybody at the club, they have been so good to me since I've come back to be honest and they deserve it more than I do.

"When I came back I said that I was here to win and it's not about just settling for mid-table and things like that, it's about winning trophies and I think we're on the way to achieving that.

"Our standards in training and off the pitch have been brilliant and that's what drives success.

"If we could win the cup then it will obviously give us the confidence boost and as I said to myself and the squad is around here to win trophies, we're not here just to take part and be glad to be in a final, it's about winning the cup now."

The 30-year-old felt Ruaidhrí Higgins’ men should have won Sunday’s last four tie a lot more comfortable.

"I'm over the moon that we've reached the final and yes people can say that we made hard work of it and stuff like that, but I still think we fully deserved to win because we had loads of chances,” he added.

"I think we got lackadaisical for about a minute and we gave away a penalty and I was included in it, but after that we missed a chance straight away and we missed loads of chances after that, so look you can nitpick at, but I just felt we deserved to win.

"To be honest, I remember even at Dundalk we beat UCD 1-0 in the semi-final, I scored, they missed chances and the crowd were going berserk, but that's the way it goes, it's all about just getting there and we went onto win it that year.”