Philly Hughes is on his way to becoming "top scorer in the league"

I was at the first ever Cabinteely FC-Shelbourne game the other night (I wasn't working at it, though I did write an after the fact match report for Extratime.ie as opposed to my usual on the whistle job) and witnessed Philly Hughes' first league goal of 2015.

Craig Walsh had been fouled in the box and once the referee pointed to the spot, there was only one man who was going to take the penalty: the Reds' number nine, Philly Hughes. And he duly dispatched the kick, not a bother to him, which proved to be the decisive goal in the match.

The first Philly Hughes league goal of 2015 - and hopefully not the last. Source: YouTube/ReggieBlinker (me).

As well as being the 33 year old's first league goal of the season for Shels, it was Hughes' first competitive goal for the Reds since 2012; his first goal in the First Division since 2011; his first league goal in 11 months; and, most importantly of all, his 132nd league goal in the LOI, moving him up to joint 15th in the all-time scorers list alongside Shamrock Rovers legend Mick Leech.

This is Hughes' third stint at Tolka Park where he has already enjoyed some success: before the season started, he had made 111 appearances in all competitions for the Reds, scoring 46 times. Most of those came in his second spell with Shels between 2011 and 2013, where his goals helped fire Alan Mathews' side to promotion and an FAI Cup final in 2011, and consolidation in the Premier Division in 2012.

Sadly, this stint ended on a low as he went 17 games without scoring in the first half of the 2013 season before leaving for St. Patrick's Athletic on loan, where he made only one competitive appearance - in the 2-2 draw against Zalgiris Vilinius in Lithuania in the Europa League as an 88th minute substitute.

The well travelled striker (he has played for 11 different clubs in the LOI since 2000) went on to have a forgettable season in 2014 as he scored only once in the league for two different clubs: Drogheda United and Bray Wanderers. His solitary goal was for the former in a 3-2 defeat to Shamrock Rovers (also in the 88th minute, apparently - the number 88 seems to be a bad omen for Philly).

Hopefully, his goal against Cabinteely the other night will be the catalyst for Hughes to return to the goalscoring form of old - and that he can once again introduce himself to Soccer AM as the top scorer in the league (Shels for the crossbar challenge - make it happen, Soccer AM).

Philly Hughes with Dundalk in 2006. Source: YouTube/ciarancallan.