“Last week we played very well and got our just reward. But this weekend is even bigger, because if we match the results of the clubs around us, or even better them, it would take us out of the bottom three.

“If we win the two games, effectively we’re safe. I don’t want to be waiting until the last two games. I’d like to put this issue to bed this weekend.”

Bohemians are approaching these games with confidence. “When we can go to Pat’s and get a draw, why wouldn’t we be confident?” Heary asks.

“We expect to win every game we approach. The players are starting to enjoy their football. They have been working hard for a long time, but now they really have the bit between their teeth, knowing they’re a good team.”

Derry have proven a hard nut to crack for Bohs this season. In three matches in two competitions Bohemians are still without a win. But Derry’s form since the sides last met in the league, with three wins and six defeats, has been marginally poorer than Bohemians’, with three wins, two draws and five defeats.

Bohemian manager Bobby Browne and assistant Heary have been working with a full squad, and competition for places right through the line-up.

Stephen Traynor’s performances since coming on as a sub against St Patrick’s Athletic four weeks ago demonstrate the effect of this competition. Starting since then against Sligo and Shels, Traynor has contributed strongly to the more numerous goal-scoring opportunities.

“He got his chance when he came on against Pat’s and, in fairness to him, he has grabbed that chance. Bucko [Keith Buckley] is the same. He came on against Pat’s and did exceptionally well,” said Heary.

“There are other players there, who are maybe not getting on to the bench and they’re disappointed. But they’re not letting it get to them. They’re pushing the team on and waiting for their chance, and it might come sooner than they think.”

For Friday, defender Anto Murphy faces a late fitness test with a hamstring strain, with Neil Yadolahi or Daniel Byrne available to replace him. Murphy has been a linchpin of Bohemians’ improved defence and the assistant manager would prefer to give him the additional days to recover rather than risk aggravating the injury by playing him too soon.

Limerick, like Derry, have proven to be stern opposition for Bohemians this season, though Heary considers his team was particularly unlucky against them. “Down there [last April], we were 1-0 up with a half-hour to go and two free kicks cost us the game. We played very well against them up here [in July] and then they hit a long ball, get a good touch on it, and they score,” he said.

“Limerick are a hard-working team, they have a good squad, with good attackers and Stuart [Taylor] has done a great job there. But they may be a bit tired with three games in six days. We’ll go down full of confidence.”

Heary sees it as his responsibility to keep his players “doing what they have done for the last few weeks” when the team kept their composure in big games and performed well.

He expects Shelbourne to come to Friday’s match very determined to recover the winning form of July and to put last week’s cup defeat against Dundalk behind them. “You can’t read too much into that cup result. They have good players and a good manager. We’re expecting them to be looking to bounce back,” said Heary.

Bohemians have found many positives to take from their loss two weeks ago to Sligo Rovers when they created as many scoring opportunities as in any game this season and earned the praise of Sligo’s management team.

The fans also saluted Bohemians’ efforts that night and Heary expects the fans to be a big factor in Friday’s clash with Shelbourne.

“The relationship between the clubs is friendly rivalry, with a good deal of banter, and no aggression,” he said. “If our fans do as they did in Inchicore and in Tallaght and really get behind the lads they can give them a lift. There is no better feeling for a player than when the fans are roaring you on. That can help you produce that extra couple of per cent.”

Heary has strong affiliations still with Shelbourne, where he played for nine years before joining Bohemians. “I am very fond of the people there, who work very hard behind the scenes. I’d be gutted if either club went down. This is not being disrespectful to any other club but this league definitely needs both Bohs and Shels.”

Heary’s illustrious spell at Shelbourne might not have happened if Bohemians had moved more quickly to sign him 16 years ago. He was “always a Bohs man” but had committed to Shels by the time his preferred club made an offer.

The honours are even between the sides in this year’s league encounters: Bohemians won in Tolka Park in April but lost at home in June.

For Friday Bohemians have a full squad to choose from. The two-week break since the last league match has helped some players with “niggling injuries” to recover fully. The most recent signing Neil Yadolahi has trained to full match fitness and is available for selection.

Bohemians go into the last six games of the season with a new management team. Bobby Browne has joined the club as first-team manager on a short-term arrangement. Browne managed Monaghan United and Drogheda United in the past, and most recently was with Drumcondra FC.

During a lean spell for Bohemians in the league they drew 0-0 in the Showgrounds in June, making up at least in part for the 3-0 defeat at home to the same opponents in March.

“Sligo are still the champions and they will be coming here with the bit between their teeth. They know they have to win to maintain their challenge,” said Heary.

“If the lads give as good an account of themselves as they did in the last two matches I can see us coming away with something.

“It’s another tough game for us, and then we have another even bigger one in two weeks’ time against Shelbourne.”

Approaching the end of his permitted tenure as caretaker manager, Heary has guided Bohemians to two wins and two draws in six league games.

“I’m happy with the way things have gone. Before I took over we had gone 11 league games without a win,” he said. “To get points against some of the teams we have got them against is very pleasing. But we’re not out of the woods yet. We’ve got to keep working hard at what we’re doing.”

Heary admits his players struggled to get to terms with the St Patrick’s midfield in the first half of last weekend’s match. Daniel Byrne who had impressed on his full debut in the previous game was missing the guidance of suspended Dave Mulcahy, Heary felt.

“We decided we had to try and match them [St Patrick’s] man-for-man and stop them getting forward. We talked to [Keith] Buckley and [Stephen] Traynor at half-time and they did the business. They’re not much older than the lads they replaced but they have been playing in the league for four years,” said Heary.

“Not many teams have gone over there and got a point off them and we’ve done it twice this year. Pat’s could have been out of sight in the first half but in the second half we got to grips with them and we deserved the point.”

With those contributions Buckley and Traynor put themselves in the reckoning for the starting line-up. Also in midfield, Dave Mulcahy is available, back from suspension. David Scully (ankle injury) remains out.

Heary has strengthened his defensive resources with the signing on professional terms of tall centre-half Neil Yadolahi (20), a youth Irish international who was on the books of Burnley for over two years until last year. More recently, he had a short spell with Turkish side Bucaspor and a trial with Swansea City. He has been training with Bohemians for the past month.

“Pat’s is a massive test. They’re top of the table, unbeaten at home for a while. Nobody’s giving us a chance, and that’s the way it has been for the last few games.

“But all the pressure is on them. They’ve been there before, and they may be starting to get a bit edgy. There’s nothing to say we can’t go there and get a result.”

The Bohemian manager underlined the whole team’s defensive effort that kept Rovers down to very few scoring opportunities. “If we stick to the game plan, hopefully we can restrict Pat’s to minimum chances,” said Heary.

Against the same opposition four months ago, Bohemians had to survive continuous pressure to come away with a draw. Dave Mulcahy scored the second-half equaliser in one of his trademark barn-storming performances.

He was also man-of-the-match against Shamrock Rovers but he will be missing on Friday through suspension.

“Not having Dave is a big blow. The way he started against Rovers set the tone for the whole match. But we have other players who can fill in,” said Heary.

He was very impressed with Daniel Byrne’s debut start alongside Mulcahy in the last league match, and the young midfielder will be in the reckoning again.

“At 20, there’s a lot of development in him. But he has clearly shown he has potential,” said Heary. “I had seen him in under-19 games and I know what he can do. We threw him in at the deep end, which may have helped him, as he didn’t have too long to think about it.”

Ryan McEvoy’s illness required Byrne’s late selection two weeks ago but McEvoy and Ciaran Nangle (previously out with ankle injury) return for Friday and Karl Moore is back from suspension. However, Dave Scully (ankle injury) and Stephen Doran (away) miss out.

Heary felt keenly his players’ disappointment but observed that the depth of disappointment reflected their exceptional work-rate.

“The Rovers game is a good one to come at this point because we need to bounce back quickly. The lads know what is expected of them. They believe in what we are doing, and they know they are going in the right direction.”

Heary is not inclined to move players around, and even less to select himself, in order to strengthen the defence further.

He also saluted the outstanding performance of goalkeeper Dean Delany against Cork and in bringing off a series of top-class saves in earlier games, even against UCD when Bohemians conceded three goals.

“He’s a senior player and he’s stepping up to the plate,” said Heary of the only player in his squad to play all 24 league games this season.

Daniel Byrne made his Bohemian début against Cork City as a substitute on 80 minutes, having recently signed from Kilbarrack United. Heary was delighted for Byrne to get on for the club he supports as a fan. He expects the 20-year-old defender/midfielder to be a “vital part” of his plans for the rest of the season, as all the players in his squad fight for places.

For Friday the Bohemian manager must plan without former Shamrock Rovers player Karl Moore (suspended) and Ciaran Nangle (ankle injury), but Keith Buckley returns from suspension and Andy Mulligan from hamstring injury, giving Heary crucial choices to make in midfield.

“Karl has been brilliant for us in the last few matches. He’s a natural winger and you don’t get many of them these days,” said Heary. “But Andy Mulligan has that too, Keith Buckley is back, and Kevin Devaney can be a threat to the Rovers defence on the right. So we have options.”

Shamrock Rovers will be missing several leading players through suspension but Heary is keenly aware of the strength-in-depth of the rivals’ squad.

“We’ll focus on what team we think they will put out,” he said. “In these derbies, form goes out the window, as we have seen in the last few games against Rovers. It’ll be down to keeping our discipline and sticking to the game plan.

“This is massive for the club, massive for the fans and, particularly, it’s massive for the team.”

Forward Chris Lyons (bruised ribs) faces a late fitness test for Friday, though he trained this week. He has been joined in training by fellow-forward Eoin Rhodes, recently signed to Bohemians’ under-19 squad from Ross Celtic in Co. Wexford.

Rhodes featured in last month’s friendly against Glenavon and scored a hat-trick in an under-19s’ pre-season match against Baldoyle United. He is one of three recent under-19 recruits from Co. Wexford.

Bohemians will play a friendly in Ferns on Saturday in acknowledgement of the contributions to the club from that county.