REBEL HELL’S BEEN A HEARTBREAKER..
AARON CONNOLLY’S elevation to the senior squad has the rest of the Ireland strikers looking over their shoulders.
That’s according to Preston marksman Sean
Maguire, who admits the
Brighton forward has caught the eye in training all week.
Connolly had quickly become a star of Stephen Kenny’s Under-21 team but his two goals against Tottenham at the weekend swayed Mick Mccarthy.
And with David Mcgoldrick unfit for the SEAN MAGUIRE says Cork City’s dismal season has been heartbreaking to see.
The striker won a double with the Rebels in 2017 but this year Cork have been scrambling for points to try to guarantee their Premier Division safety.
New boss Neale Fenn (above) is struggling to turn fortunes around but won’t be judged until next season when he puts his own squad together.
“It’s not good to watch,” said Maguire yesterday. “I Georgia game on Saturday, the Ireland boss won’t rule out a role for Connolly in Tbilisi.
Maguire, James Collins and Scott Hogan (inset) are also vying for inclusion but the new kid on the block has them all on their toes. Maguire said: “Even going to training you want to do better than your teammates, you want to score more goals in the smallsided games than your team-mates
“(Connolly’s call-up) makes your want to raise your game, not just in do keep tabs on the league every week.
“They need to get over the line, win against UCD and scrap this season. It’s been a horrible season in every way.
“To see Cork like that breaks my heart a little, because I was only there a couple of years ago winning the Cup and the league.
“You look two years on and they are sitting thirdbottom in the league. I still have a few friends there and it’s not nice to see. But training but when you go back to club level.
“We watched his game before ours on Saturday and we saw him turn players that played in the Champions League final last year – he was a joy to watch.
“Even in training he has shown glimpses that he can turn anyone inside out. He is only 19 years of age and to be doing that on the biggest stage is brilliant.
“To bring him in here now, I am probably speaking on behalf of all the strikers and wide players, it raises our game and it’s good competition to have going forward.” hopefully they’ll win on Friday and then be optimistic and look forward to next season.”
One of Maguire’s other clubs, Dundalk, are bidding for a treble and he reckons the FAI Cup final against Shamrock Rovers could be a thriller.
“Everyone probably wants Shamrock Rovers to win, to get their first silverware in years. But Dundalk are not going to let that happen, they’ll want to win the treble,” he added.