Christy Fagan has been named as the season's first SWAI/Airtricity Player of the Month after scoring five goals in the opening weeks of the new season.

Fagan, who suffered a difficult time with injuries last season, has looked to be back to his very best, finding the net in his side’s four opening games despite St Patrick’s Athletic struggling as a team slightly to find their form.

It is the third time the striker has won the award, having previously picked it up twice during his hugely successful 2014 campaign. This time around he held off Cork City's Sean Maguire and Daryl Horgan of Dundalk who finished in joint second place.

“I’m delighted,” he said. “As a team we have been a bit stop-start so far. We had good results against Bohemians and Shamrock Rovers but some of the other results were disappointing. Personally it has been a very good month for me.

“The aim is to win something this season like it always is at St Pat’s. That’s the target we have set as a team. Personally, I have targets in my own head, a number I’d like to get to but I will see how it goes. I have started well with the goals I have got so far.”