It is like the 2019 season happening all over again with Derry City playing the role of Shamrock Rovers, competing for a league title while marching towards the FAI Cup final at the business end of the campaign.
And that particular wheel keeps turning this weekend for the Candystripes as they look to book their place in the 13 November decider, taking a welcome distraction from their league endeavours to face Treaty United on Sunday at the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium, kick-off 2:00pm.
Ruadhri Higgins' side sit five points off the top of the table with four league games to go, and once they get tomorrow’s cup clash out of the way, they can put all their energy and focus into the final stretch, which includes a head-to-head encounter with Rovers on 30 October.
Three years ago, Stephen Bradley’s emerging Hoops side were in a similar battle with Dundalk, and while Rovers came up short in the title race that year, they went on to get the better of the Lilywhites in the FAI Cup final.
That winning feeling, it is widely recognised, was the catalyst to turn the following campaign into a successful league title charge, with Bradley’s men making it back-to-back champions in 2021.
And Derry City are very closely following that same trajectory, an emerging side with a well-respected coach and financial support, looking to land their first piece of silverware since 2018, when they won the League Cup.
Derry’s last FAI Cup success came in 2012 when they beat St Patrick’s Athletic 3-2 after extra time, while you have to go back to the 1996-97 campaign for the last time that the league title made its way to the banks of the Foyle.
Higgins’ in-form side have won their last eight games in a row and are widely considered favourites to secure this year’s FAI Cup, and they are certainly the strongest of the four sides who will contest this weekend’s semi-finals, with Shelbourne the only other Premier Division side remaining in the competition.
Yet the Candystripes will need to put all that talk of silverware and success to one side tomorrow afternoon and really cannot look beyond the showdown with Treaty United, who knocked out Premier Division opponents, UCD, in the quarter-finals.
Goalkeeper Brian Maher has been one of Derry’s standout players this season and has been growing in stature throughout his maiden season in the Maiden City, and the Republic of Ireland Under-21 goalkeeper believes that the side are fully prepared, while treating their Limerick opponents with the relevant respect ahead of the game.
"We’re one step away from where we want to be, and we will come into the game fully prepared to get ourselves to a Cup final," said Maher, speaking to RTÉ Sport.
"No [there’s no pressure as favourites]. I think the expectation that is coming with every game now is something we can take as a compliment for how well we have been doing lately and the runs that we have been putting together.
"From us, it will be complete respect for Treaty, they are here for a reason and are here on merit.
"It’ll just be a great occasion. The stadium is going to be packed and you could probably have filled two of them. So it’s just something to look forward to. You can see the buzz in the city all week, and everyone is talking about the game as you don’t get cup semi-finals too often."
Maher moved north to Derry at the start of the season having previously played for Bray Wanderers and St Patrick’s Athletic, and the young Dubliner feels that he has found the perfect match by linking up with Higgins and Derry this year.
And having watched last year’s final as a fan, Maher is hoping to go one better this year and get a chance to take part in this season's showpiece to celebrate with family and friends.
"I love it [at Derry]," said Maher. "The manager really trusts me and I really enjoy playing for him.
"We have a really good group and the way we play suits my game and the collective, so it’s been really enjoyable.
"I grew up going to cup finals with my Dad and family and I was at last year’s final; you enjoy the day but you’re sitting in the stand thinking you’d prefer to be on the pitch. Hopefully this year we can achieve that.
"We are doing everything we can, and everyone wants to be here on that Sunday in November. It’s something you want to experience with your friends and family."
And while Maher is excited about the prospect of maintaining a title challenge in the hope that Shamrock Rovers have a late wobble in the run-in, he said that it will not come back into his mind until after Sunday’s Cup clash.
"I think we just need to be there as we have been for the last six weeks, just win our games and wait and see if a slip happens," said Maher.
"But on Sunday we will just focus on the cup game and then prepare for Shels. From our point of view, we can’t do anything else but win our games. There are tricky games for both teams in the last four, so we’ll see what happens."
Maher also said that it would take time to get over the disappointment of losing the recent play-off defeat to Israel while on international duty with the Under-21s.
"It will take time because of what we put in. It was nearly two years of hard work from the whole group. We were on the brink of getting knocked out a few times but we came back. So to lose on a penalty shootout was sore. Everyone dreamed about getting to the [European] finals, but the achievement of getting there [to the play-off] was huge. We’re gutted that we didn’t get any further."
Treaty United come into the semi-finals on a high having secured a play-off place in their quest for promotion to the Premier Division, and have the luxury of coming into the clash with Derry with no expectations.
One of the main reasons that the Limerick club have made it to the last four have been the goals of Enda Curran, who bagged a hat-trick in the quarter-final win over UCD.
And the striker, who has scored 18 goals this season, said that Treaty are heading to the Brandywell looking to cause a shock against the highly fancied home side.
"We’ve been the underdogs in every game we’ve played this year, with budgets and what not. We’ve upset a few this season so I don’t see why we can’t do it again," said Curran, speaking to RTE Sport.
"We do know we are up against it, but we’ll have a good go at it. It’s been my best season to date, but hopefully we are not finished yet, and hopefully on Sunday I can get another one and finish the season off on a high.
"We have beaten the full-time teams before and on our day we can match anybody if we come with the right attitude and mentality."
Curran had a short stint at the Brandywell club during the 2014 season, and while it was a fleeting spell wearing the Candystripes, he has fond memories of the club and the people involved.
"I had a short stint at Derry. I was only there for a few months and scored a few goals, but the one thing I will remember is that they are a very welcoming people and everyone involved in the club were always there to help so that speaks volumes of the club."
However, the striker is intent on coming back with a bang this weekend as the recently formed club are looking to have a right go at Derry instead of sitting in and hoping to sneak an unlikely win.
"We have our gameplan and we have played a certain way all year," said Curran. "But you don’t go beating UCD 4-1 by sitting in.
"We have young lads looking to make a name for themselves so it’s a shot in the dark for us, a free crack, we’re saying let’s go up and have a go at Derry."
And while Curran is under no illusion of the difficulty of the task at hand, he is allowing himself to dream of taking to the pitch on 13 November for the Lansdowne Road decider.
"Derry are an unbelievable side, it’s only really them and Rovers who stand out.
"Even to make a semi-final for a club that has only been two years in existence is an unbelievable achievement, and there might be a fairytale ending getting to play on that [Aviva Stadium] pitch."
Watch the FAI Cup semi-finals, Derry City v Treaty United and Waterford v Shelbourne, live on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player from 1.45 pm on Sunday, listen to live updates on Sunday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1 with live blog on RTÉ.ie/sport and RTÉ News app
