Devine's 'Teenage Kicks' so hard to beat

Derry City have started the season with a real purpose – and Declan Devine is hoping that his young charges can stick the pace. Sligo Rovers might be setting the tempo at the top of the pile, but it is Derry who are in their slipstream.
 

The manager’s game is a young man’s at the moment. Devine is one of six managers in the Premier Division who is either 42 or younger. The former goalkeeper was a surprise choice to take over the Brandywell hotseat in late 2011, but his philosophy of believing in young blood is reaping rewards by the Foyle.
 

On Monday, Michael Rafter hit a brace as Derry defeated Bray 2-0. The team deployed by Devine had an average age of just over 23. After 31-year old Gerard Doherty,  29-year old Barry Molloy and 28-year old Ruaidhri Higgins, the next oldest player in the starting line-up was the right-back Simon Madden.
 

Devine has not been afraid to blood youngsters. When an injury crisis gripped Brandywell last season, Barry McNamee was installed by chance rather than choice. The Donegal man is now an automatic choice. "I think I've proven over the last year that if a player is good enough that he'll be in the team,” Devine says.

“It doesn't matter about reputations - if you're fit enough, you keep the jersey.”
 

Devine has had to overcome the numbers game since being installed to replace Stephen Kenny, who resigned from the Derry post on Christmas Eve 2011. For his first season, Devine planned without 51 of the 63 League goals netted by Derry for 2012 as Eamon Zayed, James McClean, Daniel Lafferty and Gareth McGlynn all bid farewell.
 

From last season, Derry came into 2013 down 21 of their 36 league goals from last season, minus a total of 38 goals in all competitions with Mark Farren, David McDaid, Stephen McLaughlin and Conor Murphy departing.
 

"I'm delighted with the application of the players we have,” Devine smiles in the Brandywell boardroom after an opening that has seen Derry score 14 times in just six Premier Division games, including a 6-0 hammering of UCD.
 

“They're playing the way that we want them to play. I feel we're fitter and stronger than we were last year.
 

“We have goalscoring threats right throughout the team. The desire and hunger that the players are showing, long may it continue.”
 

His signings have been notable too – as have the age profiles. Thomas Crawley is just 21, Mark Griffin will only turn 22 in June while Monday’s double hitman Rafter will only celebrate his 21st in June.

"We needed to strengthen our attacking options,” Devine says.

“When I spoke to Michael Rafter in Tipperary, I said that I felt that he hadn't fulfilled his potential yet. I still feel that he has a long way to go.
 

“The sky is the limit for Michael. His overall play is outstanding and he is as good a striker as is around. He has to continue to show determination to get better - and he is at the right club to do that.
 

"It has been proven in the past that we can develop players at this club.”
 

Devine feels that the FAI Cup winning side of last year has been strengthened.
 

“There is tremendous freedom with our attacking options. There are no constraints on them in the final third - and I feel, with the standard of player we have, that we can cause havoc.”

Devine’s extended squad is extremely young. Ryan Curran (19) and Michael Duffy (18) played with the club in the Ulster Senior League last season; Duffy was actually the top scorer in that League which the Candystripes won.
 

"We're trying to develop young, local players here,” says Devine.
 

“We have a lot of players against Bray who were under 22 years of age. We had young subs like Michael Duffy and Ryan Curran coming on and doing very well. Barry McNamee, again, was a different class.
 

"We are in a different place to a lot of clubs. We want the young, local talent to come through here.

“We have added Thomas Crawley, Mark Griffin, Michael Rafter, Sean Houston and Patrick Kavanagh, but it is all about making sure that we continue to get better. If we can do that, we'll have a good year.”
 

With Derry winning the FAI Cup and Sligo capturing the League title, there have been suggestions of a shift in the geographical balance of power. Devine shakes his head: Na, not at all,” he says
 

"There are top sides in Dublin. Shamrock Rovers are a fantastic side with a fantastic manager and St Pat's are the same. And then you have Drogheda and Dundalk too. There are very talented sides in this League this year. Every game will be very competitive.”
 

Still, he feels that Sligo Rovers will ‘not get it all their own way’: "There will be a lot of ups, downs, twists and turns in this season.
 

"No team ever runs away with this League.

"It is very early days. We finished fifth last year. We're not getting carried away. I'm over the moon that we have nine points in eight days and that we have two clean sheets with a trip to Cork thrown in there too.”
 

What has perhaps been particularly impressive for the Red and White Army has been the defensive record. While scoring 14 goals so far, Derry have watched Rory Patterson (who once netted 107 times in 126 games for FC United of Manchester) match his tally for last season, but it has been their showings at the other end that has been most heartening.
 

They have conceded just once in their last five games – just twice in their six League games to date. When it was confirmed that Stewart Greacen was to sit out long-term with a knee injury, the alarm bells chimed alarming tones around Derry – but in the partnership of Ryan McBride and Shane McEleney, Devine has landed on his feet. That is not to mention a goalkeeper in Gerard Doherty whom he believes to be ‘the best goalkeeper in the League’.
 

"The two centre-backs have been outstanding and they complement each other very well,” Devine says.
 

“Ryan McBride is very powerful and dynamic. Shane McEleney is a player who could go to the highest level of football. He is 6'4", he's a great header of the ball, his reading of the game is excellent and his distribution is second to none. He is comfortable on the ball. The sky is the limit for the two of them.
 

“Shane ticks all the boxes for the modern-day centre-back and Ryan McBride ticks all the boxes for an aggressive centre-back. They've been sensational this year and long may that continue.”

Derry face Bohemians on Friday in their first televised game of the year and, as Aaron Callaghan might find out, those teenage kicks may well prove ‘so hard to beat’.