Irish League duo celebrate individual success after receiving Player of the Month prizes

Healy registered braces against Carrick Rangers and Dungannon Swifts while he also found the net against Portadown, bringing his tally for the month to five goals.

The 22-year-old, who won the prize ahead of Carrick striker Danny Gibson and Glentoran goalkeeper Andrew Mills, said: “I’m delighted to win this award.

"I won the Championship version of it a couple of times with the Welders, so it’s nice to come back and pick up the Premiership version.

“But more importantly, I’m pleased that Cliftonville are back to winning games and that I’m helping out by scoring goals.

"We had a tough start to the season, but things have picked up and now it is time for us to push on.

“For me, it took a bit of time to adjust to the Premiership as the pace is much more intense, but I’m up to speed now and really enjoying it.”

Meanwhile, Rathfriland Rangers forward Reece Doyle also celebrated individual success after being named Championship Player of the Month.

Just like Healy, Doyle struck five times throughout the month, scoring twice against Armagh City and Strabane Athletic.

The 23-year-old also found the net against H&W Welders, helping the Iveagh Park club climb Northern Ireland's second-tier table following their promotion from the Premier Intermediate League last term.

“It’s a big thing for a club like ours to win an award like this,” said Doyle. “It’s our first season in the Championship and it took us a while to adjust, but now we’re playing well and winning matches.

"I’m delighted I’ve been able to play my part by scoring a few goals. But this award is really for my teammates and the coaching staff, as our recent form is a team effort.

“We have Darren Mullen as manager now, who has great man-management skills. Our first target is to stay in the division. We’re not getting ahead of ourselves after a few good results.”