Birthday boy Corrig McGonigle has 300 career goals mark in sight

Corrig (light blue) on the attack for Conwy. Picture: Aled Jones

Happy 24th birthday Corrig McGonigle – one of the greatest goalscorers to grace North Wales football in many a year.

At the end of the curtailed 2019-20 season, the Anglesey-based hitman had amassed 293 career goals.

He has spent the last three seasons with Conwy Borough in firstly the Welsh Alliance, then Cymru Alliance and now the newly-named Cymru North, notching a total of 102 goals for the Tangerines so far.

Born on March 17, 1997, as a schoolboy, Corrig’s goal-getting feats in the Anglesey Youth and Junior League were legendary.

Sometimes, prolific marksmen in youth football don’t always cut the mustard when it comes to stepping up to senior combat, but Corrig adapted in no time.

After grabbing 33 goals in his debut campaign in men’s football with Anglesey League club Llangoed and District, the Llansadwrn-based ace switched to Pentraeth of the Welsh Alliance.

Corrig on the ball for Pentraeth, where he scored a personal record 64 goals in a season

He notched 28 goals in his first season at Bryniau Field before in 2015/16 he really made his mark, scoring 64 times for in all competitions for a Pentraeth outfit which finished fifth in Welsh Alliance Division Two.

This magical haul secured him the Bob Brodie Trophy for the leading goalscorer in senior Anglesey football.

Corrig was snapped up in summer 2016 by Huws Gray Alliance champions Caernarfon Town. Despite showing promise at The Oval, his stay there was short and he moved to Glantraeth of the Welsh Alliance.

Corrig was a sensation at Glantraeth

McGonigle made a stunning impact at Bodorgan, piling up 59 goals in 35 starts as the Anglesey side won the Welsh Alliance Division One title and Cookson Cup double.

Corrig also chalked up back-to-back Bob Brodie trophies – making him the only player to lift the prize twice in a row.

Corrig (left) receives the 2015/16 Bob Brodie Trophy from some guy named Dave

He was looking forward to testing his skills in the Huws Gray Alliance, but at the end of the campaign Glantraeth decided not to accept promotion to the second-tier as the club felt unable to meet the strict ground criteria – so McGonigle decided to sign for ambitious Welsh Alliance club Conwy Borough.

And the 2017/18 season was another huge success for McGonigle, as he banged in another 59 goals for a Boro team which scooped the treble of Division One title, FAW Trophy and Cookson Cup. That made it five trophy winners’ medals in two seasons for the striker.

Although Borough have yet to make a major impact in tier-two, Corrig’s goals have kept flowing.

Seven (really six-and-a-half if you take in the shortened 2019-20 campaign) senior football seasons and 293 goals – a stunning average of almost 42 goals per season!

CORRIG McGONIGLE – CAREER GOALS

2019/20: Conwy Borough (Cymru North) 25
2018/19 – Conwy Borough (Huws Gray Alliance) 23
2017/18 – Conwy Borough (Welsh Alliance) 59
2016/17 – Glantraeth (Welsh Alliance) 59/Caernarfon Town (Huws Gray Alliance) 2
2015/16 – Pentraeth (Welsh Alliance) 64
2014/15 – Pentraeth (Welsh Alliance) 28
2013/14 – Llangoed and District (Anglesey League) 33