Ruaidhri Higgins is hungry to taste overdue Showgrounds success when Derry City face Sligo Rovers

Ruaidhri Higgins knows Derry need to go on a winning run to realise their title dream

Derry City travel to Sligo Rovers on Friday night knowing that anything other than victory could bring a definitive end to their title hopes.

Ruaidhri Higgins admitted that his team would likely have to win all six of their remaining League games if they are to have any hope of catching Shamrock Rovers, who claimed a late draw at the Brandywell last week.

It means that the pressure is on the Candystripes to win at the Showgrounds tonight — a venue they have taken just a single point from in their last three visits.

“For whatever reason, Sligo go up a level or two when we come to town, so we have to be ready for that, and produce a display similar to what we’ve been producing for the last couple of months,” Higgins said.

“We have to show an inner desire and inner drive to take three points, because when you win down there it is a really good feeling, but we haven’t felt that for a while down there.”

A City victory over Rovers last week would have meant just a one point difference in the title race, something they were just six minutes from achieving. Even though that opportunity passed them by, Higgins is backing his team, having watched them bounce back from devastation on more than one occasion this season.

“That question was asked of us after the European game and you seen our performance on the Sunday afterwards in the Cup,” he reflected.

“We went out again, and then you seen how we backed it up away to Bohs and away to Dundalk and away to UCD and home to Shamrock Rovers. That question has been asked of us plenty of times this season, and we have answered emphatically every time.

“I have no doubt that the players will use the pain I