Ruaidhrí Higgins hoping to out-fox former allies at Bohs in bid to reach FAI Cup Final

​Reynolds was assistant boss to Higgins when they guided Derry City to their last FAI Cup triumph at the Aviva Stadium two years ago and the pair now go head-to-head in a bid to return to the National Stadium next month with their respective clubs.

O'Donnell meanwhile won the FAI Cup with Bohs against Derry in 2008 at the RDS, scoring one of the penalties in the 4-2 shootout victory while Higgins missed his spotkick as he was harshly reminded of in his pre-match press conference this week.

"That's a bit harsh," he responded when that heartbreaking miss in that '08 decider was brought up in conversation.

"It was a disappointing day and we deserved to win that day but thanks for bringing up nasty memories, I appreciate it," he laughed.

O'Donnell - who also won the cup as manager with St Pat's against Bohs in the 2021 decider - was Higgins' roommate while the pair played for Dundalk and they remain close friends.

However, the City supremo knows his former allies will be plotting to end his bid for a league and cup 'double'.

Having shared numerous chats about football tactics and philosophies through their years of friendship, Reynolds and O'Donnell know Higgins better than most and the Limavady man admits it will be difficult to out-fox the Bohs' duo.

“It’s interesting," began Higgins. "We obviously still have a good relationship. Stevie O'Donnell would be a good friend of mine as well, but I think with what's at stake on Friday night, we won't be friends until the game ends.

"You never know, we might lose our friendship after the game," he laughed.

And Higgins will be expecting a curveball or two when it comes to Bohemians' gameplan on the night while he just might have one or two tricks up his sleeve himself.

“It is true, they know how I think about the game, I know how they think about the game, so I'd imagine they'll definitely throw something in that we mightn't expect, and we might throw something in that they mightn't expect.

“Ultimately, football is about players, and we can only give them the sort of platform, they go and do it. It's the players, once they cross the white line, they have to go and show the courage to get on the ball, they have to run more than the opposition, and when we do both sides of the game well, we're a smashing team.

"Hopefully our players will embrace the significance of the game, and go and enjoy themselves, and try and create more history by getting to another cup final.”

Derry City have won the FAI Cup on six occasions and their last triumph under Higgins saw over 20,000 Candy Striped fans make the journey to the capital for a memorable 4-0 win over Shelbourne.

That was the catalyst for Derry's successive league title challenges which followed and for the growth of the club both off and on the field according to Higgins.

“Absolutely, it's a showpiece event, and I genuinely believe that's why we're in the process of building a new stand now as well, because of that cup final, and what it brought.

"People are bored listening to me, but I think that cup success created a new generation of Derry City supporters. The buzz around the city around that time was incredible. It brings so much joy and happiness to the people of Derry.”

Should Derry reach another FAI Cup Final - the club's 11th since entering the League of Ireland in 1985 - they will have done it 'the hard way' having defeated holders St Pat's in their opening round before dispatching of Cork City at Turner's Cross and then Shelbourne at Brandywell.

“We've done it the hard way, the only all-Premier Division tie, the first one against St Pat's, where we were brilliant here, again that wasn't that long ago, when you think about it.

"Then we had a difficult task down in Cork, then we had the league leaders in the quarter-final, played really well again, quite recently, so if we get to the final, it'll certainly have been done the hard way, which makes it even more special really.”

Derry sold out its travelling support allocation for Dalymount but that large contingent won't be on their own when cheering on the Candy Stripes against Bohs.

Indeed, given the current standings in the league table, fans of those clubs hoping to benefit from an extra European place should Derry win the cup will no doubt be hoping Higgins' troops go all the way. That's of little consequence to Higgins but he understands the reasoning having fond memories of his own when Derry qualified for Europe by default back in 2013 when Sligo Rovers defeated Drogheda United to open up an extra qualifying spot.

“That's pretty irrelevant to me, and I'm not being smart, but that's not my concern whatsoever. We have to focus on ourselves. I remember being at the final, when me and Barry Molloy went down, and did a charity cycle thing, before the final between Drogheda and Sligo, and [Joe] N’Do scooped it over the wall for Anthony Elding to finish.

"It got us into Europe, and we were running about the Aviva, like two eejits. We're in the position that we're in, and we still have a lot of work to do, to get what we want to achieve out of the season, so we don't have time to think about anyone else.”