Waterford striker Pádraig Amond has been named the SSE Airtricity/Soccer Writers Ireland Player of the Month for May after a month in which he hit four goals for the high-flying Blues.
The 36-year-old helped Waterford win five of their six matches in the month - including a stunning scalp against champions Shamrock Rovers at Tallaght Stadium - to move up into top four in the SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division.
Amond was a central figure in that run of fine form, starting all six games in May and featuring in all but the last 10 minutes of his team's 4-1 win over Dundalk.
He hit a 13-minute hat-trick against Drogheda United at the RSC while the well-travelled centre forward also hit the winner at home against Bohemians late in the month.
Talisman Amond's four-goal haul helped him reach the top of the league's goalscoring charts. He enters the mid-season break tied with Derry City's Patrick Hoban on 11 top flight goals so far this season.
In a vote of SWI members, Amond was a comfortable winner in the poll, finishing ahead of Shamrock Rovers own' in-form striker Johnny Kenny. Sligo Rovers goalkeeper Ed McGinty finished third in the voting.
Amond is a first time winner of the award. May marks the fourth time a Waterford player has won the Player of the Month prize since September 2022, with Waterford's number nine following in the footsteps of Phoenix Patterson and Ronan Coughlan (twice).
Speaking after receiving his award, he said: "I'm delighted - it's great to get the award. To be honest, it could have been anyone of three or four of the Waterford lads for the month that we had.
"It's been a fantastic month for us as a club. It kind of really put us into a really good position and made the first half of the season look so good for us.
"I'm delighted to win the award - but it's on behalf of those lads. Without those lads, I'd be absolutely nothing. They're a brilliant bunch of players to play with. Good lads as well, young lads as well and they're getting better every week. You can see with performances and results.
"They've really stepped up to the plate in the Premier Division this season after being promoted last year."
Amond picked out his treble over Drogheda as an obvious personal highlight but also believes the performance against Shamrock Rovers was a real indicator of what Keith Long's side were capable of.
"The hat-trick against Drogheda was a big night for me," he said. "My son was probably the happiest. He was there that night and he got to bring a football home with so he was delighted. And a trophy, so I've got a trophy for him.
"Apart from that, I'd say probably the performance against Rovers. It was one I really, really enjoyed. I thought I played very well that day. We put in an unbelievable shift that day. We were worthy winners.
"It was a good month but a month I want to build on now for the rest of the season. And hopefully get one or two more of these if I can or even someone else in the team, it could be their turn to get one."
The six-man shortlist for May's Player of the Month award also featured Galway United's Maurice Nugent, Dayle Rooney of Bohemians and Dundalk's on-loan Sunderland defender Zak Johnson.
