Shiels on brink as Hale admits City have lacked a cutting edge

DERRY City must endure one final game before they put a tumultuous 2018 behind them.

It now looks increasingly likely that Kenny Shiels, who led the Candystripes to Europe in his first two seasons in charge and brought them their first trophy in six years when they lifted the EA Sport League Cup just last month, will not be at the helm next season, given a run of results which has brought 16 defeats in the past 22 league games.

City slumped to a 2-1 reverse at already-relegated Bray Wanderers on Monday past, meaning that they can finish no higher than seventh place in the ten team Premier Division, regardless of their result against St Patrick’s Athletic tonight.

For Rory Hale (below), who has been one of Shiels’ better signings this year, there is no doubt that results have not been good enough.

“We are just lacking in the final third and we have been for the last seven or eight games,” he said.

“We just can’t put the ball in the back of the net and when you don’t do that the better teams are going to take their chances.

“But there are lots of positives; it’s not as if we’re playing really bad. We’re playing some good football, it’s just that we can’t get the breaks the other teams are getting. We’ve had such bad luck.”

Hale could be one of the players set to leave the Brandywell at the end of the season, with Derry having failed to tie down any of the current first team squad for a further year.

Whatever happens, Hale will not easily forget the ups and downs of 2018.

“For me personally it’s been a very enjoyable season, but the last half of it just hasn’t been good enough,” he acknowledged.

“We know how good we can be but we just need that level of consistency.

“We’re not a bad team. You don’t go over and beat Dinamo Minsk and then keep playing badly. The consistency just hasn’t been there.

“A few of the boys haven’t got together the second half of the season and that’s what has killed us.”