Devine eyes up a Euro run during ‘nuts’ season

DECLAN Devine is determined that Derry City’s Europa League campaign lasts more than just 90 minutes in a season he has described as ‘absolutely nuts’.

The Candystripes boss and his squad left Derry yesterday and flew directly to Vilnius in Lithuania, where they will today lock horns with Riteriai in a contest that could be worth more than £200,000 the club.

City got back to winning ways at the weekend with a deserved 3-1 defeat of Cork City at the Brandywell, a victory which came at the exact right time for a side that has struggled since football resumed last month.

Devine was part of the City management team which flourished on the continent in 2006 against IFK Gothenburg, Gretna and Paris St Germain and knows full well the joy of winning at the highest level.

“It’s one of the highlights of your season and something that you reflect back on,” he said. “Some of the European ties I’ve been involved in, both with this club and other clubs, have been highlights and memories that live with you for a long time. When you reflect back, you want to remember winning — that’s the ultimate one because you want to progress through a round.

“Our recent history, barring Aberystwyth, hasn’t been great. We’ve qualified which is a sense of achievement, but we have to try and strive to be better, we have to get through a round or two and try and make sure it’s a regular occurrence that we are playing in these types of games.”

Devine has dismissed any notion that Riteriai are there to be beaten, with the Lithuanians struggling badly in their domestic league.

Devine believes, however, that recent results are not a fair re

Name: Futbolo Klubas Riteriai

Nickname: The Knights

Founded: 2005

League: A Lyga, Lithuania (Sixth)

Ground: LFF Stadium

Based: Vilnius, Lithuania

Manager: Tommi Pikkarainen

Key player: Donatas Kazlauskas

flection of the quality within the team.

“This said.

is a tough game,” he

“I’ve watched a lot of them, they are technically very good footballers, but we are going out to try and win a game.

“We have to be at our very, very best, as everyone has to be in Europe.

“We can’t afford an off night because the stakes are so high. We want to be in this competition for more than 90 minutes so it’s all about the performance on the night.

“This season has been absolutely nuts. I’ve never seen anything like it in 27 years in football.

“It’s not something that we really enjoy, playing in front of empty stadiums, but it’s a game of football, it’s a 90 minute game that could potentially could go to 120 minutes and penalties.

“There are no excuses, we have got to perform on the night and I’ve every confidence the boys can do that.”

Battle ready: Declan Devine expects a tough test today