Derry City travel to the Regional Sports Centre on Monday night aiming to extend their winning run to three consecutive Premier Division matches. The Candystripes, currently fifth with 37 points from 30 games, face a Waterford side that has proven a tough opponent this season.
Ruaidhrí Higgins's team are in strong form, having won three of their last five league outings. Their most recent result was a dramatic 1-0 away win over Shelbourne, sealed by Michael Duffy's 93rd-minute goal. Before that, they secured a 4-2 home victory against Dundalk, with Duffy scoring twice and Patrick McClean and K. Santos also on target. The only defeat in this sequence was a 5-3 reverse away to Bohemians. You can review the full sequence of results on our fixtures page.
The head-to-head record this season is tightly contested and high-scoring. Waterford won the most recent encounter 4-2 at the Brandywell in early July. The match before that, in May, finished 2-2 at the Regional Sports Centre. Derry City's sole victory in the last three meetings was a 4-2 home win back in February. This suggests Monday's game could be another open affair.
Higgins is expected to name a similar side to the one that started against Shelbourne. That lineup featured Tom Norcott in goal behind a back four of C. Dummigan, J. Stott, Patrick McClean and A. O'Reilly. The midfield five consisted of N. Twisk, E. Chapman, B. Fleming, D. Burns and T. Smith, with Michael Duffy operating as the lone forward. The manager has a settled squad to choose from, with no new injury concerns reported following the midweek victory.
The hosts are in decent form themselves, unbeaten in their last four matches. They drew 1-1 with Dundalk last time out and recorded convincing wins over Sligo Rovers and St Patrick's Athletic prior to that. Their last starting XI was a 4-4-2 formation featuring striker Pádraig Amond. Derry City's defence, which has conceded 40 goals this season, will need to be organised against a capable attack.
With 19 points separating them from leaders Shamrock Rovers, European qualification remains the realistic target for Derry City. A win in Waterford would solidify their top-five position ahead of next Friday's home fixture against Galway United. The full squad list and player statistics are available on our squad and stats pages.
