Cork City striker Ruairí Keating has been voted the SSE Airtricity/Soccer Writers Ireland Player of the Month for September after hitting five goals in an impressive spell for the 28-year-old striker.
Keating scored five goals in five appearances for the Leesiders despite their Premier Division struggles, including an injury time winner against Wexford that sent Cork into the last four of the FAI Cup. He had earlier set up Malik Dijksteel for the equalising goal in that game.
The in-form forward also hit a career first hat trick in the league win against Sligo Rovers at the start of the month and he netted a penalty away to Shelbourne. Five goals marks a best ever goalscoring month for the player.
Keating returned to the side in mid-August after a leave of absence taken following the tragic death of his father Ciarán in July.
He was a popular choice in the vote among Soccer Writers Ireland members, beating in-form Derry City midfielder Will Patching, who finished in second place. Galway United talisman Stephen Walsh, who last month helped secure his team the First Division title and a place in the FAI Cup semi-finals, was third.
Keating, who has already matched his goalscoring tally from the 2022 season when he helped Cork to promotion, was previously nominated for the award in March this year when Ali Coote claimed the prize.
Speaking after receiving his award at Turners Cross, Keating said: "It's a great achievement to win the Player of the Month award and it's a very proud moment for me and my family. I'm really, really delighted."
The striker has netted 12 league goals this term, just one fewer than leading goalscorers Chris Forrester and Jonathan Afolabi - and he hasn't given up hope of finishing the season top of the charts.
"It would be a proud moment for me to win the Golden Boot. It wasn't a goal of mine at the start of the season or anything like that. I just wanted to play as much as I could and score as many goals as I could. We have four games left and I'm one off it so it's definitely something I'm chasing towards the end. It would be lovely to have my name on it.
He added: "We did brilliantly last year to get promoted and we knew it wasn't going to be easy; that transition to better teams and tougher games. You get punished for mistakes, it's a very good league.
"I think we've done well. A lot has gone on this year, it's been very difficult and we've been up and down. But I think at the end of it you could say we were one game away from a cup final and secured our Premier Division status for next year, you'd be delighted."
Keating also paid tribute to interim Cork City boss Richie Holland, who took over first team duties until the end of the season last month.
"Richie has been great with everybody. He understands the players, he's worked with us all for a very long time. It's been great for us to strip it back to basics and just get playing our way.
The six-man shortlist for September's Player of the Month award also featured Drogheda United's Dayle Rooney, Lee Grace of Shamrock Rovers and St Patrick's Athletic forward Tommy Lonergan.
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