Derry City: Tiernan Lynch feels his side were ‘harshly done by’ in loss to St Pat’s as slow start goes on

Lynch, who replaced Ruaidhri Higgins as Derry City boss in November, endured a similarly slow start to his reign at Larne before going on to win back-to-back Irish Premiership titles and leading the Inver Reds to the league phase of the Uefa Conference League.

“I’ve been here before. I’m big enough and ugly enough to work my through this,” he said.

“I think there’s too many quality players in that changing room. It can’t last.”

The former Glentoran assistant added, however, that nobody at the club was “shying away” from their poor start.

“At Derry City, every game you have to win, that’s how I look at it.

“Regardless of how you play, decisions that go against you, that’s not good enough.

“We’re fully aware, we’re not shying away, we face things head on.”