For Gavin Whyte, the motivation is the same this week as Derry City aim to avenge two defeats to Waterford this season.
Last week, the City players were motivated by the fact that they had failed to beat Drogheda in two attempts this year, a fact that contributed to arguably their best home display of the season, a 3-0 win which took them back up to second in the Premier Division.
Now, having suffered defeats to Waterford in February and April, Whyte and his team mates are eager to redeem themselves.
“We spoke about that before the game last week,” he admitted. “Drogheda are a bit of a bogey team and they make it hard for Derry, so it was good to break that run. We popped it to be fair in the first half then in the second we started to tire a bit. They tried to make it hard for us, but the early game for Sam really got us going.”
“Down in Waterford it was a really tough place to go. It’s going to be another tough game, but we need to do more of what we did against Drogheda. If we do that again against any team, I think it will be a really tough night for them.”
City have improved considerably in just a few short weeks, and Whyte puts that down to the effort the players are putting into training and on match nights.
“It’s probably just working hard to be fair,” he explained. “The last time I spoke to the press, we had suffered a bad defeat and I said we need to go on a run, and I think we’ve done that. I think we’re playing some good stuff at the minute and confidence is high and we need to keep that going.
“It’s a lift for everyone. I try not to look at the table as much as other people. There are still a lot of points in it and we need to try and tick the games off. It’s a tough league, but we have played some good stuff in the last three games and we need to keep that going and hopefully the fans can enjoy the performances.”
Whyte has a lot of expectation on his shoulders currently, as he is one of the few creative players in a system which demands the best from the attacking players in the team.
“I don’t mind it,” he said. “It’s something I’ve always been used to, trying to get on the ball and trying to create stuff. We work a lot with playing against the five during the five so we know what to expect, so it’s really up to me and Mickey (Duffy) to get as close as possible to Boycie and try and get round him, try to help him as much as we can and try to create, that’s what we are there for.”
Whyte has made 18 appearances to date, and has chipped in with two goals and three assists in that time. He may not be hitting the numbers of Michael Duffy, but he admits all that matters is helping the team, no matter who puts the ball in the net.
“At the start of the season I probably did think about goals and assists, bit I think if I play well and I help the team get the three points, that’s more important,” he said. “I still probably need to add that to my game.”
“It’s been a rollercoaster, but I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time here. I love the boys, I love playing at the Brandywell, and it’s a really good fit for me I think.”
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