FAI Cup semi-final preview: Derry bring double hopes to Dalymount

Derry City finally face the decisive period of their season as they begin the first of two crunch games with Bohemians this month.

The Candystripes have saved their best for the FAI Cup with St Patrick's Athletic and Shelbourne already being eliminated by them, as well as First Division Cork City.

They have five more league games to haul back Shelbourne as well as seeing off other rivals, beginning with Bohs next week on home turf.

Defeat in Drogheda last week was a huge disappointment, yet results elsewhere did soften the blow.

For now they must focus on the quest to reach a 12th FAI Cup decider in Dublin.

Bohs have their own concerns in the league with the relegation play-off still a possibility.

The Cup has been the chance to make up for a miserable campaign so far, something Alan Reynolds is very aware of.

The Gypsies boss said: "There is no doubting the size of the challenge ahead of us. Derry on their day are the best team in the league so, to a man, we will have to give absolutely everything of ourselves.

"We haven’t had the season we want in the league, so this is a massive opportunity for us to achieve something this year.

"This is where we want to be, and want to be regularly; in high-pressure games against the best teams in the league with prizes on the line. That is what we are all working towards and we have to seize the opportunity that is in front of us tonight.

"To do that we need to be at our very best from the first whistle. Against a team as good as Derry, we need to be ruthless in possession, in winning back possession, and show a killer instinct in front of goal that has evaded us too often this season.

"Our players go into this game with that determination. We know how good Derry are but we have shown that