This is the most important weekend of the season so far and what a set of fixtures to sink your teeth into. I love this time of year. Everyone is running out of time, teams only have to play each other once more and therefore there’s no second chances.
The pressure dial has been turned right up and we’re all waiting to see who cracks first. What more do you want? We’ve a three horse race for the title because I believe Shamrock Rovers are back in the mix and can have a big say yet. READ MORE: Shamrock Rovers manager Stephen Bradley on what his players must do to continue winning run READ MORE: Dundalk takeover latest as owner issues stark warning and Stephen Kenny reacts to ongoing crisis And, for the first time in a long time, Shels, Derry and Rovers are all on equal games played with seven matches apiece remaining.
No more ‘if we win our games in hand we might do this or that’. It’s level pegging and all on the line now. I was in Derry last weekend for their FAI Cup quarter-final win over Shelbourne and there’s no question they were the better side.
But that was the Cup and the league is a different beast. I’d be wary of putting too much stock on that one performance, but if that’s your thing then good luck. The real rewards are in the league - and the financial rewards too and what they can do to transform your team and club.
Ruaidhri Higgins and Damien Duff are both chasing their first league titles as managers and that’s the ultimate prize for them. T.