This season's League of Ireland is capturing the imagination of fans up and down the country. Derry City are seven games away from a potential league and cup double but experienced defender Ciaran Coll is keeping focused ahead of a huge couple of months for the Candystripes.
Coll has tasted cup success with Derry having lifted the trophy two years ago and is hungry for more.
A league defeat away to Drogheda United on Friday night meant Ruaidhrí Higgins' side missed a golden opportunity to close the gap on leaders Shelbourne with only five games remaining and time running out.
This season's title run-in has seen a number of twists and turns as as many as six teams are just seven points behind Shelbourne as the conclusion of the season approaches.
Despite the disappointment, their attention quickly turns to a huge cup semi-final showdown away to Bohemians on Friday night with a place in the Aviva Stadium on November 10th at stake. Speaking about their opponents at the launch of the semi-finals, Coll's looking forward to the last four clash:
Bohs have been really good, watched a couple of their games. They haven’t been in top, top form, but neither have we. It will be a good game in Dalymount.
30 September 2024; Derry City's Ciaran Coll, left, and Daniel Kelly with Bohemians' Leigh Kavanagh and Alex Grieve, right, during the Sports Direct Men's FAI Cup semi-finals media day at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
READ HERE: "Tonight Was Our Night": Stephen Kenny Revels In Sensational Win Over Rivals Shelbourne
Coll has sights set on repeating Aviva dream
Having been a part of the successful Derry side that travelled to the Aviva in November 2022, Coll has memories of the day that he is keen to replicate again:
I was able to take my wee boy onto the pitch and he will be able to look back on that aswell and say ‘Daddy took me out onto the pitch.’ Hopefully, I can do it again, with my other wee boy aswell. It will be a tough game for us on Friday but hopefully, we can come out the right side of it.
Even bringing that cup back to Derry, thousands outside the Guild Hall waiting on us. Hopefully, we can bring it back to the city again for everyone, families, it would be massive achievement again.
That was the defender's first and only piece of silverware in his 16-year career but he is hungry to add to his collection over the next couple of months:
It just makes you want to continue to win more, give you that bit of hunger to get more. Hopefully now that I don’t have much playing time left, I just want to do my best for the team and the city, get more silverware into the club.
With such an intense league schedule at the minute, the 33-year-old acknowledges that Friday's defeat was another bump in the road in their quest to chase down Shelbourne but is optimistic there'll be a positive response:
We have had setbacks before and rebounded from them really good the following week. So, hopefully everyone is raring to go because this is a massive game for us.
The conclusion of this season's league and Cup is hugely exciting for fans with the destination of both league and cup still unknown.
