Hutton may stay at Derry helm

Derry City caretaker player-manager Peter Hutton could be asked to stay in charge until the end of the season.

The eircom League Premier Division strugglers have failed to land a permanent successor to former manager Gavin Dykes since his resignation at the end of May, leaving defender Hutton in temporary charge on a week-to-week basis.

Hutton, 31, had expected to relinquish the role last week but Derry’s first choice for the job, former manager Felix Healy, opted to stay with current club Finn Harps.

Then Jimmy McGeough, another former Brandywell favourite, was widely tipped as the man to fill the breach but City directors appear to have steered away from that appointment which leaves Hutton to extend his five-game spell at the helm.

Hutton, who guided his team to a valuable away win at Waterford last Friday, could well be holding the job until the end of the season when Healy may feel he is in a better position to leave Finn Harps and return to the Brandywell.

Hutton said: "I think we need an experienced League of Ireland manager and we'll have to wait and see who the Board select. It's clear that they've not decided and it may well take some time to appoint one.

"I've already told the Board that I would prefer to concentrate on my playing career. I have only a few years left and those are years I won't be able to get back and I want to continue playing.

"I didn't mind filling in as a caretaker until someone comes in and, I must admit, I'm delighted at the response of the playing staff," he told the Derry Journal.