Derry City boss Declan Devine views Bohemians as a 'role model'
Keith Long has done a fantastic job getting Bohemians competing at the top end of the table on a shoestring budget and as he brings his high flying Gypsies to the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium tomorrow night, Devine believes the match is set up to be a 'magnificent game'.
Bohs were held at home to Waterford on Friday night and dropped to third place behind Dundalk while Derry's 2-0 win over Cork City moved the Candy Stripes to within three points of Long's troops in fourth.
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Hide AdDevine is full of praise for the work Long and his assistant, Trevor Croly have done this season having lost the likes of 2018 Goalkeeper of the Year, Shane Supple (retired), Dan Casey (Cork), Daniel Kelly (Dundalk) and JJ Lunney (Waterford).
He's brought through some talented and exciting youngsters to complement the experience in players like Dinny Corcoran, Keith Ward, Derek Pender and Keith Buckley and Devine expects a tough night as his City team go in search of back-to-back league wins.
"Bohs are a brilliant side and I know from looking at their line-up against Waterford, they rested a few guys in the knowledge they are coming here on Monday to try and get a gap between us and them again," said the Derry boss.
"For me, like Cork, it's one of the most historic football clubs in the country. The job that Keith and Trevor have done down there is simply magnificent on their budget. When I came into this football club I was looking at Bohs as a role model as how the people have come together and took the club to another level,.
"It sets up a magnificent game now on Monday."
Derry will be without their leading goalscorer, David Parkhouse for the game as he serves a one match suspension for the accumulation of five yellow cards.