National League
Padraig Amond (Woking)
Padraig signed with Woking on a two-year deal at the start of the year, leaving Newport County after five years with the club. All in all the Carlow striker has played 46 games this season scoring 12 goals in the National league. His form helped Woking reach the number 4 spot in the league which allowed them to qualify for a play-off quarter final. Unfortunately for Amond his side lost out to Bromely at this stage, which means another season within the notoriously difficult league.
We caught up with Amond recently on Scoreline, check the interview out below:
Tom O’Connor (Wrexham)
Former Kilkenny minor hurler had a fantastic season getting caught up in the whirlwind of Wrexham. A former Southampton acedmy graduate, which boasts the likes of Gareth Bale, Luke Shaw and Theo Walcott as former players they helped develop signed for the Welsh club from Burton Albion. Of course if you have been following the Disney + documentry or even if not you may know that Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenny purchased the club last seaosn with serious promotion aspirations. Well they have only gone and done it, being spearheaded by Paul Mullin who found the back of the net a staggering 38 times in 46 matches. Not one to shy away from the goal Tom chipped in with four of his own in 24 games in the league and a particularly memorable goal against Championship side Sheffield United in the FA Cup. The standout moment though has to be the below goal, a incredible overhead kick!
Football League 2
Gavan Holohan (Grimsby)
After helping Grimbsy to promotion from the National League (His second in a row after he helped Hartepool the previous season), Gavan was crucial in maintaining their status this year. The Mariners finished their season with a very respectable 11th place finished. All in all the former Evergreen player managed 6 goals in 39 appearences, however his most memorable turn would come in the form of the FA Cup. Gavan scored twice against Premier League opposition to reach the quarter final of the historic competition before being knocked out by Brighton. Holohan was also awarded goal of the season by the club for the below, for which he was nominated twice , which was against his old side Hartepool. His old side ended the season in 23rd and being relegated back into the National league
🗳️ Voting for your Mariners Goal of the Season closes at midnight tonight – check out the contenders and then cast your vote over on the website!
— Grimsby Town F.C. (@officialgtfc) April 30, 2023
Vote ➡️ https://t.co/yvYy5YXZi4#GTFC pic.twitter.com/piolRjRieY
Jimmy Keohane (Rochdale)
2021 player of the year for Rochdale and former Evergreen player Jimmy Keohane has been a mainstay in The Dale’s first 11 this season. Playing a total of 39 times, registering 3 goals in the process. The Kilkenny-born player rescued a few points for his side also during the season scoring a late leveller to earn a 1-1 League Two draw at 10-man Crewe and again in a 1-1 draw at Harrogate. However, a late surge in the league where they won four out of eight games was not enough for the team to survive the second successive relegation. When the final whistle came down on the last game of the season, it was official, Rochdale’s 102 years as a Football League club came to an end.
Championship
Sean Maguire (Coventry)
Kilkenny’s last Irish international Sean Maguire has worn the jersey of two separate Championship sides this season. Starting the season with Preston North End, who he joined in 2017, Maguire would leave in January to join Coventry City, with his Preston contract set to end this campaign anyway. Prior to his Deepdale exite Maguire managed 10 appearances for Preston before his switch. His first match in the Sky Blue of Coventry would coincidently be against his old club, however Maguire did not appear off the bench. New manager Mark Robbins was slow to utilise the striker overall stating “He’s a really good lad and just not been able to get going yet. But hopefully he can do and that’s down to him to get to the level.” Overall he has appeared 7 times, and started once against Wigan at the DW Stadium. Maguire still has time to make an impact despite the traditional season being over, as Coventry finished fifth they will go up against Middlesborough in a promotion playoff semi-final. Luton and Sunderland are on the other side, with his former team Preston finishing 12th.
See also: Kilkenny’s own Seanie Maguire may be close to sealing a move to Coventry City
