GREG BOLGER HAS been rewarded for his impressive form in a Cork City shirt by picking up the SSE Airtricity/SWAI player of the month award for June.
Bolger is the first City player to win the award since Mark O’Sullivan in June 2014, and he succeeds Dundalk winger Daryl Horgan, who was the winner in May.
The 27-year-old Wexford native, who was third in the voting for the previous Soccer Writers’ Association of Ireland award, topped the poll for June ahead of Sean Houston of Finn Harps and Cork City team-mate Stephen Dooley.
“This is my first award,” Bolger said. “It’s not often a midfielder wins it so it does mean a lot. The players who score the goals and grab the headlines get the plaudits and probably get these awards more so but it’s nice to win it.”
Bolger moved to Leeside from St Patrick’s Athletic for the 2016 season and has played a key role as John Caulfield’s second-placed side have sought to challenge the dominance of Premier Division leaders Dundalk.
Bolger: “The season has been good so far but we’re probably a bit disappointed as we beat Dundalk twice and we’re still six points behind them. That’s credit to them.
“We really need them dropping points and us picking up wins and see where it takes us. Hopefully it’s good enough at the end of the year. We’ll be fighting to the end either way.”
Bolger is hoping to be available for Cork City’s Europa League second qualifying round first-leg tie against BK Hacken in Gothenburg on Thursday after missing the second leg of their victory over Linfield in the previous round due to an ankle injury.
“I’ve been getting treatment every day for the last two weeks,” he said. “The medical team here are top notch. Hopefully I’m right for Thursday.”
