Football | Maguire back with a bang

I don’t think he would have dreamed of a better game back,” he said.

“He came on with the game really tight and us needing to force the issue to get the win and he gets two goals.

“He has only played 45 minutes of football in three or four months. So, to come on and deliver that tells you everything you need to know about him.” Yesterday's win has lifted Preston to ninth position in the Championship, just three points and places off the play-off places. With 11 games remaining, Alex Neil's side have a great chance of sealing a much coveted play-off position. Maguire is likely to play a key role over the remainder of the season, and will be hoping for more game time under Martin O'Neill in 2018. The Kilkenny native made his international debut against Moldova last year, and is likely to earn his next cap against Turkey in an international friendly later this month.