When Dan Maguire held off two Whitley Bay defenders before putting his side ahead in extra he became the latest Spartan to hit the fifty goal mark for the club.
The striker scored a brace in the Northumberland Senior Cup semi final tie but it was his first goal of the night that helped him acheive this notable landmark.
It all seems a long way from Maguire being handed his debut by manager Tommy Cassidy as a late second half substitute in the dismal 4-1 FA Trophy defeat at Witton Albion in September 2012, although he had to wait until December of the same year for his full debut as he started the home fixture against FC United of Manchester.
The former Seaton Deleval striker scored his maiden Spartans goal in the Doodson Sports Cup tie at Stocksbridge Park Steels in January 2013. Maguire scoring the fifth goal on his twentieth birthday, just two minutes from the end of extra time as Spartans beat the Yorkshire outfit 5-3 in an epic cup tie.
He had to wait another month for his first League goal, although it came in rather depressing circumstances. Rushall Olympic were the opponents that day as Spartans were hammered 5-2, Maguire had headed his side back on level terms in the fifteenth minute after striker Dave Walker put the Pics in front.
There was a happier occasion for Dan just three days later as Ashton United made the trip to Croft Park. That brought with it his first home strike as part of his first ever brace for the club, as Spartans sent United packing with an emphatic 4-1 victory.
For a player who had been signed as cover for the first team Maguire ended his first season at Croft Park as a key player, scoring an impressive seven goals in twenty six appearances. He was also voted Supporters Club Player of the Season and Players’ Player of the Year in the End of Season awards.
Maguire’s first full season at Croft Park was to be a successful one for both player and club. Not much was expected of the squad with Tom Wade putting a young group of players together. However they played some magnificent football and flirted with a play off push, although a backlog of fixtures put paid to that.
Maguire scored his first Spartans hat-trick in January 2014 as he played his part in a 6-2 thrashing of a desperately poor Stafford Rangers side. Personal honours followed as the striker was named in the England ‘C’ Representative squad and he also was voted into the Evo-Stik NPL Team of the Year, alongside team mate and captain Robbie Dale.
Both of those honours were a reward for finishing the season as the club’s top goalscorer as he plundered twenty seven goals in his fifth appearances.
Maguire has continued that impressive form in the current campaign and currently sits on seventeen goals in his thirty five appearances, just a goal behind leading scorer Dale.
Maguire’s half century, now 51 goals, has been brought up in 111 apperances meaning he has an average of a goal every 2.18 games and his total includes no penalties.
Well done Dan!
His full stats are below:
First appearance: 29 September 2012 – Witton Albion (A) FA Trophy 1-4
First start: 1 December 2012 – FC United of Manchester (H) Evo-Stik NPL 1-2
First goal: 8 January 2013 Stocksbridge Park Steels (a) Doodson Sports Cup 5-3
First League goal: 16 February 2013 Rushall Olympic (a) Evo-Stik NPL 2-5
First brace: 19 February 2013 Ashton United (H) Evo-Stik NPL 4-1
First hat-trick 11 January 2014 Stafford Rangers (H) Evo-Stik NPL 6-2
50th goal: 18 February 2015 Whitley Bay (H) Northumberland Senior Cup 3-1 )AET)
Season by season performance
2012/13 Starts: 21 Subs: 5 Goals 7
2013/14 Starts 46 Subs: 4 Goals: 27
2014/15 Starts: 30 Subs: 5 Goals: 17
Competition goals:
Evo-Stik League:40
FA Cup: 5
Northumberland Senior Cup: 4
FA Trophy: 1
Doodson Sports Cup: 1