Five-goal Ruairí Keating wins September's player of the month award

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 across league and cup action.

The 28-year-old has been in flying form despite the Leesiders' Premier Division struggles.

The frontman hit a career first hat trick in the league win against Sligo Rovers at the start of the month and also netted a penalty away to Shelbourne.

Keating also scored 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.

Keating, who joined Cork in 2021, returned to the side in mid-August after a leave of absence taken following the tragic death of his father Ciarán in July.

He saw off competition from Derry City midfielder Will Patching and 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, to claim the award.

The six-man shortlist also featured Drogheda United's Dayle Rooney, Lee Grace of Shamrock Rovers and St Patrick's Athletic forward Tommy Lonergan.

"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," Keating said.

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