John Caulfield: Sean Maguire key to Cork City’s challenge for 2017

As he nears completion of his squad jigsaw for next season, Cork City manager John Caulfield readily acknowledges that a key piece is now in place with the retention of ace marksman Sean Maguire.

“You can have great full-backs and great centre-backs and great midfielders, and you need all those but, crucially, you have to have guys who put the ball in the back of the net,” he observes. “That’s the position that wins you games.”

And trophies – it was Maguire’s late winner, his 29th goal of the season, which saw City overcome Dundalk to lift the FAI Cup last month, enshrining the striker “in the history books for life”, as Caulfield puts it.