Patrick McEleney says a Derry City win in Dundalk is 'the be-all and end-all'

​The City skipper shares the frustrations of the Brandywell fans who booed the team off at the half-time interval last Monday night and claimed the lethargic performance in that opening 45 minutes wasn't in the game plan set out by Ruaidhri Higgins and his staff.

"I completely agree with them [fans]," he said. "I would say people and fans are looking at it and asking 'why are we so negative early doors in games'. Why were we so negative the other night and lethargic against Sligo?

"Trust me when I say it, that wasn't the plan. It wasn't our plan to try not get behind them, get the ball forward and get the fans behind us. That comes down to us as players. We have to take criticism for that.

"The manager can't walk us out onto the pitch and light all our flames. That comes down to us as players.

"We have to take responsibility for starting a match like that. The plan wasn't to sit off and invite them onto us.

"It was to get them turned. Get into their half and make them defend, get the fans up and we just didn't do it for 45 minutes.

"That's why it becomes a basketball game in the second half when it's open season.

"We still should've won in my eyes but as players we have to take responsibility that we didn't start the match like we should've started it. The Bohemians game was the same. “Obviously after the last couple of games it was really disappointing and flattened.

"I know we didn't play well in the two first halves of the two games - unacceptably not well. We still should've won both games in my eyes.”

McEleney enjoyed a hero status at Dundalk where he won three league titles and two FAI Cups.

And fate would have it that, alongside ex-Dundalk stars Michael Duffy, Pat Hoban, Will Patching and Mark Connolly and led by former assistant manager, Ruaidhri Higgins, they could be responsible for the Lilywhites’ relegation.

Victory for the Candy Stripes would be the final nail in the coffin for Dundalk and while ‘Fats’ is sad for his former club’s demise, he’s fully aware of the importance of three points in Derry’s quest for the title.

"I obviously spent a lot of time there and it's a special place for me and my family. It's not going to be us that relegates them if we win.

"Whatever happens, happens for Dundalk but it's over the full season. We've a job to do for Derry City and that's the be all and end all really.

"You don't want any team to go through that situation.

"It's a sad situation they're in. They're too big of a club and it's a sad moment for them.

"I still have loads of friends there and I'm just hoping they can get it together and dig themselves out and fix their problems.”

Despite a six game winless run and their position in the table, McEleney knows it would be dangerous to be complacent going into the Oriel Park tussle.

“It's a tough place to go and there's still a lot of smashing players, league winners throughout their squad.

"It’ll be a tough game on a tough pitch and it's just not an easy place to go and roll them over.”