Cork City goalkeeper Mark McNulty has been named the SSE Airtricity/Soccer Writers’ Association of Ireland Player of the Month for November. City secured the double by winning the Irish Daily Mail FAI Cup on November 5 with victory over Dundalk. A
Cork City goalkeeper Mark McNulty has been named the SSE Airtricity/Soccer Writers’ Association of Ireland Player of the Month for November.
City secured the double by winning the Irish Daily Mail FAI Cup on November 5 with victory over Dundalk.
After a 1-1 draw in normal time, the sides went to extra-time and then penalties where McNulty proved to be the hero with his save from Michael Duffy.
The City keeper reckons it was close to a perfect season for John Caulfield’s men and was topped off by winning this award.
He said: "I'm absolutely delighted. It's an unbelievable way to end the season. You win the league, you win the FAI Cup and then to top it off you win the Player of the Month, which is obviously brilliant.
"At the start of the season you set out an aim and that's to win as many trophies as you can as a group and a team. Obviously we set out our objectives at the start of the season to win trophies, which we did.
"Individual trophies come after the team but every player likes to win individual honours. I'm absolutely delighted, it's a huge honour to receive it. Not many keepers receive these awards so I must have done something right.
"There are a lot of top keepers in the league and it's usually the top outfield players - the guys banging in the goals - who get these awards.
“As a goalkeeper, and on behalf of all goalkeepers, it's a hard thing to get. That's why I'm absolutely delighted to get it. I know it's a tough award to win, especially as a goalkeeper, so I take huge pride in this."
In winning the award, McNulty beat off competition from team-mate Conor McCormack, who finished second in the voting. Dundalk keeper Gary Rogers was third.
