Eoin Doyle: Imperfect pitch and recruiting injury-prone players have held Derry City back

The pitch at the Brandywell and a spate of injury issues are the two main factors that have prevented Derry City from pushing on to another level over a longer-term period, according to former St Patrick's Athletic striker Eoin Doyle.

The Candystripes may be second in the League of Ireland Premier Division table but will rue that they are not more than a point further clear of a Shamrock Rovers side that have made what is now a characteristically slow start to an SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division title defence.

The last two campaigns have also promised much and delivered little for Derry - the emphatic 2022 FAI Cup win aside.

After a disappointing Easter long weekend, bookended by a defeat at home to Galway United and an away draw against an illness-affected Shelbourne, Ruaidhri Higgins' team appeared to have the wind back in their sails following a 4-1 thrashing of struggling Dundalk on Foyleside.

But last Friday, they were pegged back by a resolute Drogheda United in a 2-2 draw at Weavers Park and ten games into the new season, Derry have been unable to put back-to-back victories together.

They now prepare to welcome Stephen Bradley's Hoops to the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium in a match-up that will be live on RTÉ2 and the RTÉ Player.

Their results at home have been pretty good this season aside, from that aforementioned loss to Galway, belying the long-established issues with the synthetic surface.

But other than second-from-bottom Drogheda on the opening night and then St Pat's back on 1 March, visitors to Derry thus far have either been newly promoted clubs or bottom side Dundalk, which makes this Friday's clash against Rovers their sternest home examination of the season so far.

"The biggest thing is their pitch and