Shane McEleney urges disgruntled fans not to lose sight of Derry City's progress

​Derry City skipper Patrick McEleney got involved in a heated exchange with a couple of angry supporters who made their feelings clear at the final whistle when the players approached the away end to applaud the travelling support.

The frustrations among the fanbase are understandable after Derry blew another opportunity to close the gap on Shamrock Rovers who are just two wins away from clinching a fourth successive league title.

However, Patrick's brother, who admitted the dressing room was 'flat' after that result in Co. Louth, assured disgruntled fans that recent unfavourable results and performances haven't been down to a lack of 'integrity, workrate or professionalism' from the players.

And the big centre half has called on the Derry support to look at the 'bigger picture' as the club continues to 'knock on the door', claiming he believes it's only a matter of time before they win the title.

"I saw a few fans giving us a bit of jip there towards the end but I don't think you can question our integrity, honesty or workrate," said McEleney.

"We all work really hard for each other and we're not far away. I think the bigger picture here is we're not far away from doing something special. Albeit if it's not this year it could be next year.

"It's a minority (of fans) to be honest but they have a really short memory. If you look where this club was two years ago, correct me if I'm wrong but they were in a relegation battle.

" So we've come a long way and Ruaidhri (Higgins) and the staff have done a fantastic job in such a short space of time.

"The big picture is we're knocking on the door. Are we through the door yet? No but I think and I believe there's a lot more and only better to come from this group.

"We just have to look forward now to Shelbourne. We have to take it game by game and that's what the manager has been saying to us; don't focus on the big picture just take it game by game and see where it takes us at the end of the season. We're knocking on the door," he repeated.

"You can look back over the course of the season, and I always say hindsight is a poor man's foresight. You can say about ifs, buts or maybe but if it's not meant to be it's not meant to be."

Whatever happens in the course of the final three games of the season, Derry must use hindsight to dissect what went wrong in their title charge and foresight to look positively towards 2024 and do what's needed to ensure they're better equipped to sustain that challenge next season.

"I don't think you can question the honesty, workrate and professionalism of this group," continued McEleney. "Everybody backs each other and you can see that on the pitch. We didn't get the result tonight.

"We probably deserved it based on the second half but it wasn't to be."

And until their challenge is mathematically beyond them, McEleney isn't ruling anything out.

"Football is a strange game and stranger things have happened. We just have to not worry about Rovers. If they do slip up we have to be there to capitalise.

"Our main focus is Shels in over a week's time and we'll look forward to that."