Goals were best yet says Walsall loanee Ronan Maher who has relished non-league challenge
Ronan Maher has said his brace in Rushall Olympic’s crucial 3-2 victory over Darlington on Saturday may be his best for the club yet.
The Walsall loanee found the net with two stellar strikes in the space of nine first half minutes as he helped overturn an early deficit.
Curtis Main headed in his second of the afternoon to equalise for Darlington on the cusp of half-time, before Maher’s menacing free-kick ultimately led to Owen Farmer stabbing home the winner two minutes later.
That result sent the Pics to within two points of safety with a game in hand on opponents Darlington, and as Maher noted, has increased belief that they can survive the drop.
He said: “I had a brilliant weekend. It was probably the best performance I’ve had in a Rushall shirt.
“It was a big day for Rushall. We needed to win the game because if we lost then we would’ve been eight points adrift.
“They were two very good goals but the most important thing was the three points because we feel we’ve got the upper hand. After winning, we’re thinking it’s still possible that we can stay up.
“There were quite a few Walsall fans there and the place felt like it had a good atmosphere about it. It was good to hear some positive feedback from both Rushall and Walsall fans about the performance.”
Maher has scored three goals and set-up six more in the National League North across his two loan spells at Dales Lane this term.
The 19-year-old also experienced his first career red card in the dying stages of a 3-3 draw against Gloucester City last month but feels learning from the highs and lows will only benefit him in the future.
“Fighting relegation has been an important experience for me personally. There’s more pressure but I relish that and hopefully we can stay up,” he reveals.
“It’s all about adding experiences to your CV. I’ve nearly had 1,500 minutes in the National League North now, which is a good amount of minutes at senior level football.
“The highs and the lows will only put me in good stead for the future. Saturday was probably the highest of the highs for Rushall with a big win and two goals.
“Then the red card last month against Gloucester was the lowest of the lows but those wide variety of experiences will only help me.”
