23' GOAL PNE! It's @Seani_Maguire_! #COYW #pnefc 1-0 pic.twitter.com/bgObrqSibI
— Preston North End FC (@pnefc) September 9, 2017
A MAN OF the match display saw Sean Maguire bag his first Championship goal for Preston North End on Saturday afternoon, as the side drew 1-1 with Barnsley at Deep Dale.
The former Cork City man gave his side the lead against after 23 minutes when he rose to meet Tom Barkhuizen’s cross with a fine header.
The 23-year-old striker signed for Preston in June but joined the club a month later in July, also scoring on his non-competitive debut in a friendly against Burnley.
Maguire scored 20 goals in the Premier Division for Cork City earlier this season, firing them to the top of the table and likely towards a first league title since 2005.
He put in a Man of the Match display against Middlesborough in September and also grabbed an assist in a 1-0 win against Reading.
Maguire won the SSE Airtricity/Soccer Writers’ Association of Ireland Player of the Month award in March and remains the League of Ireland’s top goalscorer despite departing league leaders City over two months ago.
He was named in Martin O’Neill’s provisional squad for Ireland’s World Cup qualifiers against Georgia and Serbia, but has yet to earn his first senior international appearance.
Maguire joined former Dundalk duo Andy Boyle and Daryl Horgan at Deep Dale, as well as fellow Irish internationals Alan Browne and Greg Cunningham.
Maguire’s finish against Barnsely was his first competitive goal for his new club, with the Lilywhites eventually drawing 1-1 after Brad Pott grabbed an equaliser for the visitors two minutes later.
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