Extratime.ie's Team, Player & Manager of the Month for July

Extratime.ie is delighted to announce the winners of the Player/Manager/Team of the Month Awards for July.

After hours of deliberation amongst the team, we have come up with our best starting XI for the month of July as well as our Player and Manager of the Month.

The Awards span both divisions, Premier and First, and include performances in all competitions, including friendlies. Here is our selection and our reasons behind them.

Feel free to share your opinions on the selection below either in the Comments section or on our Twitter feed by tweeting @ExtratimeNews.

Goalkeeper

Gerard Doherty (Derry City)

Keeping a tight ship at the back, Derry currently sit in sixth place, just two points adrift of Sligo Rovers. And having garnered four clean sheets across all competitions since the start of July, they're tied with the Bit O' Red for the highest amount in the last month. Let down at times by the defence sitting in front of him, the former Derby County net-minder did let five goals in during their away clash with Shakhtar Soligorsk, but aside from that he had a rather solid month. Looking alert and uber-responsive coming off his line when faced with one-on-one situations, Doherty remains the right custodian to help the Candystripes back to the form of the silverware-chasers they want to be. 

Defenders

Pat Flynn (Longford Town)

A constant throughout the last few weeks, Pat Flynn has been a rock at the heart of the Town's defence. Holding the best defensive record across either division, Tony Cousins' charges have only conceded a measly 13 all season. So it's clear where their strength lies – at the back. Winning each of their five matches in July, they kept three clean sheets and they only let three goals slip past them. Impressive.

Stephen Walsh (Galway FC)

Adaptable to the very last, Stephen Walsh took to his new role as a central defender with aplomb in recent weeks, helping his side concede only one goal from open play in their last four matches – the other solitary strike that hit their net was just a penalty. Normally an offensive or central midfielder, his ability to take the recent flux in his stride underlines just how important a squad player he really is.

Aaron Barry (Derry City)

It's been a busy few weeks for one of the League of Ireland's Europa League hopefuls, having played seven matches in four weeks, but despite being dumped out of Europe's second elite club competition, they've managed to hold their heads high with some scintillating domestic displays. Starting each match throughout July, Barry played an instrumental role in their great defensive record.

Midfielders

Dylan Connolly (Shelbourne)

Closing in on Longford's position at the summit of the First Division table, Shelbourne are desperate to reaffirm their credentials as a top division team. And Dylan Connolly has been pivotal in their efforts to do so. Still not guaranteed of a promotion play-off spot, Shels have had to work hard in recent weeks, keen to keep the pressure on. Back towards the beginning of July, the former Bohemians U19 player looked lively and proactive against Waterford United, despite not scoring. He did find the net against Shamrock Rovers B at Tallaght Stadium where he put in a man of the match shift to ensure his side picked up a vital three away points. Taking the initiative for such a young player, he deserves all the plaudits he can get. But don't be surprised to see him move on if the Dublin side don't earn promotion; after all, talent like his can't be left to stagnate. 

Richard Towell (Dundalk)

Played an immense role in their European match-nights over the last few weeks and continues to help his club stride towards their first Premier Division title since 1995. The young midfielder bagged himself a second-half brace at Stade de la Frontiere away to Jeunesse Esch at the beginning of the month as well as scoring a goal in their 5-1 thumping of Bray Wanderers, and he continues to look a very polished performer as the weeks pass by, running at the opposition back four every opportunity he gets.

Eoin Wearen (Bohemians)

It's certainly not been the most ideal of seasons for Bohemians so far, but a good July might well have seen them finally turn the corner to get themselves away from the wrong end of the table. The undisputed hero of the hour was midfielder Eoin Wearen who came away from their last three league fixtures with three goals to his name. Grabbing one apiece against Limerick, St Patrick's Athletic and Cork City, it was he who ensured they got their first home win of the season as he sealed a 2-0 win over title contenders Cork City with an 80^th minute strike past the despairing Mark McNulty. A clinical few performances.

Michael Duffy (Derry City)

With Roddy Collins' spell at the helm now a distant memory, the Candystripes have begun to re-discover their groove. Following a disastrous start to life as Derry's new boss with three losses on the trot, Peter Hutton's side have since lost just two matches from their last 10 - both Europa League ties - so it's fair to say they're a new-look team, with bigger aspirations and more direction than before. Unquestionably key to their revival has been 20-year-old Michael Duffy who found the net five times in July, including an impressive hat-trick in their 6-1 demolition of UCD in Belfield. New chief Hutton is clearly having a positive effect from the dugout, then.

Strikers

Danny Furlong (Wexford Youths)

Still very much in with a shout of catching both Galway FC and Shelbourne, Wexford Youths look good enough to run them close at the very least, especially with Danny Furlong in a rich vein of form. Nabbing six goals throughout the month of July, including a wondrous 19-minute perfect hat-trick against former club Waterford United, scoring with each foot as well as with his head, the 24-year-old has had a massive impact on the club's promotion challenge. He just can't seem to stop scoring.

David O' Sullivan (Longford Town) – PLAYER OF THE MONTH

Scoring seven goals throughout the month of July, bringing his tally up to 17 for the season, David O' Sullivan has had a month to remember for all the right reasons. Playing a crucial role in the 100 per cent record for the month as they notched up five wins, the Town cut a composed figure at the top of the First Division table. Undoubtedly most impressive of all the matches the 27-year-old was involved in came against the league's whipping boys, Cobh Ramblers, where he netted a hat-trick to single-handedly gift his side the three points. If Longford do manage to earn promotion to the upper echelon, all involved at the club will hope O' Sullivan is kept on; it'd be a sin to let a player as prolific as him go. Add to all this the fact that he is now the club's all-time record goalscorer with 47 goals and O' Sullivan is not only the best performer of the month, but one of the best in the club's history.

Danny North (Sligo Rovers)

Pushed extremely close by Derry's Rory Patterson for inclusion, who certainly deserves a mention for his performances all July, North gets the nod – but only just. Now that the dust has settled on Sligo's European quest, one would hope the players who made it all such a joy to watch can now bask in the glory of how well they performed against the odds. Because, in truth, when the draw for the second round of the Europa League pitted John Coleman's charges against seasoned stalwarts, Rosenborg, no-one gave them much of a chance. But with the likes of North pulling the strings, they turned those odds on their head. Grabbing his side's second away goal against the Norwegian side as well as tucking one away in the reverse fixture, he also stuck one away against FK Banga in their 4-0 victory. Add a stoppage-time goal against Limerick FC in for good measure, and his selection this month cannot be questioned.

MANAGER OF THE MONTH

Stephen Kenny (Dundalk)

Bringing out the utmost in his current crop, Kenny has figured out how to truly maximise the Lilywhites' strengths. Reflecting back on their recent trends which have seen the league-leaders notch up six wins out of seven in all competitions, it's obvious just how focused they are on being the best they can be. In fact, compared with June, where they won one and drew two of their three league matches, in July they won all three league ties. And although they failed to reach the next round of the Europa League, they'll be even more driven to make top spot their own so as to secure Champions League football for next season. They don't want to be runners-up once again, and Kenny has them well-drilled enough that it's no longer a dream, but a tangibly distinct possibility. He has his sights firmly fixed on it.