Ryan Graydon confident Derry City will kill teams off ahead of Shelbourne trip

Winger Ryan Graydon believes Derry City are due to give some team a “hiding” and “god help them” when they do.
Derry City’s Ryan Graydon races away from Cork City left-back Kevin O’Connor.Derry City’s Ryan Graydon races away from Cork City left-back Kevin O’Connor.
Derry City’s Ryan Graydon races away from Cork City left-back Kevin O’Connor.

The 23-year-old, who scored his first goal for the club at Finn Harps in July, says everyone is flying in training and if they can bring that form into games then they’ll start to kill teams off and he hopes that will happen at Shelbourne tonight (KO 7.45pm).

In recent weeks the Candystripes have dominated games but missed a host of clear cut chances, something Graydon and his team-mates have been frustrated by.

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“It’s due and god bless the team that it happens too. We are creating the chances but it’s just in that final third with the end product, it’s something we do need to work on,” he insisted.

“It’s happening in training but it’s not coming out in games but, look, one of these days it will happen and a team is going to get a hiding, to be honest it’s well overdue.

“We’ll be taking it game by game. We have a big week but it’s just about each game at a time and week by week. Every team is strong in this division so you never know what’s going to happen, you have to bring your ‘A’ game every week.”

The former Longford Town man was pleased to have defeated Cork City in the Extra.ie FAI Cup on Friday when the Dubliner showed great bravery to win Derry’s penalty after a collision with Cork City goalkeeper Jimmy Corcoran.

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“I knew if I was brave enough to go in for the header I would get there and lucky enough I got the peno, so I was happy enough,” he added.

“That’s the thing week in, week out, we just can’t get that second and third goal to kill teams off. I thought we were better against the 11 men so when they went down to 10 men, they just went behind the ball hoping for the best and it was difficult to break them down. That’s something we have to work on, we need to kill teams off.

“That was the whole plan, just to make sure we were in the next round. Two more games and we’ll hopefully get to the Aviva, that’s the plan.

“Especially when we have the chances and especially when they go down to 10 men like that, but sure we the win and that’s the main thing.”

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Graydon is happy that boss Ruaidhrí Higgins continues to back him and feels playing with the likes of Patrick McEleney, Michael Duffy, Will Patching and & Co can only help his game.

“I’m enjoying it. Ruaidhrí has trust in me and he’s playing me week in and week out. Now it’s about me trying to keep my place in the team and obviously help the team as much as I can,” he said.

“There’s great depth in the squad. Training every day is buzzing and the lads are in top form and that’s what we have to do to keep our place. It’s good to have competition as it brings out the best in players.

"Fats, Mickey and ‘Patch’ are the top players in the country for a reason and to play alongside them is great. The service you get in games is put on a plate for you most weeks and then it’s up to you whether to take them or not.”

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