Ruaidhri Higgins relishing home comforts as Derry City host Waterford

​The Candy Stripes began last year's campaign with two wins from seven at the Lone Moor Road venue but they're unbeaten in their last 13 home matches in the league and if you include FAI Cup and Europa Conference League games you can make that an impressive 17 without defeat inside 90 minutes, since April 2023!

Not bad form from a team which apparently struggles on its own patch.

And Higgins hopes that run of form continues against one of the league's newcomers this year who have shown they're no pushovers after wins over Drogheda and St Pat's and a credible opening day draw against early pacesetters Shelbourne.

"In our last 18 at home we've won 13 and drawn five so we're not doing too bad here," said Higgins of his team's home form leading into the game.

"Granted the first half of last season I agree, it [home form] wasn't great because we were too easily beaten here but as I've said on numerous times from the summer onwards it's been the opposite.

"That’s not going to last forever and we know Waterford will pose a real threat to that record on Friday night and we have to respect them.

“We obviously want to make this place a really, really difficult place to come to and I think we've done that in recent times but Waterford are a different team to the one that got promoted and they will cause us problems. So we have to be ready for that.”

Derry come into tonight's clash after a hugely impressive weekend of results where they came from behind against both St Pat's and Shamrock Rovers to earn four points against two of their predicted title rivals.

There was disappointment in Tallaght when Markus Poom rose to head in Darragh Burns' cross in the 93rd minute to snatch a draw for the champions but that frustration felt in the dressing room after the game is a sign of a mentality shift amongst this City team who previously would've been content with a share of the spoils in south Dublin.

There was no celebration this time around but rather some stern words about why they should be finishing the job against their big rivals when they've got them by the jugular. There's no 'inferiority complex' with this City team!

"I think our record over the last two years, we've gone toe-to-toe with them. We've beat them, they've beat us with a few draws in there. We drew down in Tallaght in my first year here with a team that people would tell you was nowhere near the team that we have now.

"We tried to instil that from day one that there was going to be no inferiority complex no matter where we went. You don't always come out on the right side of the result but I don't think that we've ever gone and parked the bus against anybody."

It was a productive four days for Higgins' troops but they've got to back that up with three points against Waterford before a trip to Dalymount Park ahead of the international break.

"They were two difficult fixtures, really difficult fixtures. They are mouth-watering when the fixtures come out and you look Friday and Monday, and it’s Pat’s, Rovers. I felt from half-time onwards in the Pat’s game over the last couple of games, we've applied ourselves really well. We finished the game really strong against Pat’s and put in a decent performance the other night in Tallaght against an outstanding team.

"To come from a goal behind in both games, it basically tells you what we have in the dressing room and the personalities and characters we have.

"We want it to be a feature of this team that when we do go behind, we react positively and we can still win matches and we need that to happen. We need to just try and carry on this wee bit of momentum that we have."

Derry's bench power has been a significant strength this season and Danny Mullen, who scored two from two off the subs bench, has epitomised the hunger in the squad.

"Exactly, and Danny Mullen is a great example of that. Danny had a stop start pre-season and he picked up a few niggles but he's getting really sharp. His goal against Pat’s was outstanding, a really outstanding goal from start to finish actually. He was involved in the build-up as well and then he comes on the other night and just through sheer persistence and aggression he bundles it over the line.

"You don't care how the goals go in but he had that aggression to get on the end of it and no matter who was in his way they weren't going to stop him. He's made a huge, huge contribution so far over the last couple of games and I have no doubt that can continue as well.”