It's been a good January for Daryl Horgan. Settling into a new house with his partner and new son, making his debut in the FA Cup against a major club. And today, his first league match, his first assist and his first standing ovation.
Defences all across Ireland know not to give Horgan more than a yard of space, because he's able to produce some magic that'll unlock defences. Nobody told Chris Hughton and Brighton. Midway through the second half, Horgan picked the ball up inside his own half and had one look up.
It was all he needed to produce this magical ball:
It's a solid 40 yards. It's straight into the path of Callum Robinson. And it's with his weak foot. Absolutely insane.
The pass brought some astounded reactions from some Preston fans and it's not hard to see why. Horgan was one of four Irishmen that started for the home side. Aiden McGeady provided the assist for Preston's first goal. Another ex-League of Ireland player, Alan Browne, picked up the man of the match award. Horgan got a standing ovation though, all while Roy Keane was sat in the stand.
The winger could've had a goal himself after a brilliant turn left him in space on the edge of the box. His shot beat David Stockdale but was inches wide of the post. It was Brighton's first defeat in 18 games. A large part of that was down to the Irish.
There could be a serious selection headache for Keane and Martin O'Neill, especially if Jon Walters doesn't recover in time to face Wales.
