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Derry City manager Ruaidhri Higgins admits his side "have got to" win the FAI Cup Final to avoid the season being labelled a year of "huge underachievement".
Despite a stuttering campaign, the Candystripes went into their final two Irish Premier Division games knowing that victories in both would have landed the club's first League of Ireland title since 1996-97.
But defeats by St Patrick's Athletic and new champions Shelbourne on Friday night meant a demoralising fourth-place finish in the table eight points off the pace for Derry and needing to beat Drogheda United in next weekend's cup final to salvage their campaign and secure European football.
"If we don’t [win the FAI Cup] it will go down as an extremely disappointing year," Higgins told BBC Radio Foyle.
"I can’t put any other spin on it. It’s the way it is. We have to win the cup to take some satisfaction and pride out of the season."
Amid a pitch invasion by Shelbourne fans, Higgins was unable to immediately congratulate triumphant Shels boss Damien Duff but the Derry manager acknowledged that the Dublin club were "worthy" title winners.
"They had a difficult spell but they dug in and won their last three league games of the season to get over the line."
Pointedly, Higgins spoke of a "real personality and character" in the Shels squad which he admitted "is something we possibly need to look at".
"In games where away to Drogheda and away to Sligo, places like that, we haven’t picked up anywhere near enough points.
"Last week [against St Pat’s] wasn’t the one that cost us. They have been too many over the course of the season and truth be told, we’ve let ourselves down in the same venues. We and I have to take responsibility for that."
Higgins said Derry's failure to grasp a glorious chance to win the title after a campaign when they only managed 14 wins in 36 games is a "bitter pill to swallow" but says his side must regroup for the FAI Cup Final on 10 November.
"We have nine days to prepare for a massive day in the football calendar and we need everyone together, everyone behind us to go and try and lift one of the two trophies that’s available in this country."
