Before the FAI Cup final, the vitality of silverware for Derry City was much highlighted in their aim to become a consistent challenger.
Citing examples like Shamrock Rovers and Cork City who triumphed in the knockout showpiece before following it up with a league title - and many more in the Hoops' case - the gauntlet was set for the Candystripes on Sunday when they took on underdogs Shelbourne.
And Ruadhri Higgins' side emphatically met the challenge with a 4-0 triumph at the Aviva Stadium which will surely give them a pep in their step as they look to build on the investment in the squad for next season and beyond.
Closing the gap to Shamrock Rovers in the league will be a tough task though and one area of improvement will be Derry's home form according to former Longford Town and Drogheda United cup-winning defender Graham Gartland.
"For Derry to make that up, they need to improve their home form," he told the RTÉ Soccer Podcast as he and his former team-mate Ollie Cahill analysed the week's football stories.
"They've travelled well to Dublin this season and picked up big wins on the road. Derry was always a tough place to go so it's interesting that they haven't got enough victories but got a lot of draws at home.
"Winning games you're expected to win becomes a habit and that's what Derry brought to that final yesterday and it's something they need to build on that 'we need to go here and get a result'.
"I thought they were doing that at the latter end of the season when they went to Richmond (Park) and got a 1-0 win. But then they drew at home to Shels and to me that was a big one where you would have expected them to go and win that home game again."
But Gartland feels the Candystripes have already made an impressive amount of progress in a short space of time, capped by a first FAI Cup win in a decade.
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"It is a stepping stone and Ruaidhri Higgins, considering he's 18 months in the job, he's brought a lot of players back to the club that are from the city and know how much it means to play for the club.
"He's brought in lads like Brian Maher and Brandon Kavanagh who have travelled up from Dublin that have bought into what he's doing.
"The likes of Alan Reynolds with his experience behind him helping Ruaidhri is great.
"They're a team on the up and what happens when you win silverware, it gives you a taste for it. But crumbs leave success and you can take that success and what you've learned with that and apply it to league matches that you're expected to win as well."
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