Mooney signs for U’s on loan

COLCHESTER United have signed striker David Mooney on a six-month loan deal from Championship club Reading.

The 25-year-old former Republic of Ireland U23 international drove to the Weston Homes Community Stadium this morning to finalise the deal and goes straight into the U’s squad for their League One opener at Exeter City on Saturday.

Despite being 6ft 2in tall, centre forward Mooney is not a like-for-like replacement for target man Clive Platt and is more likely to play off the shoulder of the last defender.

And with Ward handing Mooney squad No,19 instead of the vacant No.9, it appears as though the U’s boss may go for another striker before the transfer window closes on September 1.

Born in Dublin, Mooney started his career in the Irish League playing for Shamrock Rovers, Longford Town and Cork City, before fifteen goals in 22 appearances at the latter saw Championship club Reading sign him for a fee believed to be in the region of 260,000 Euros.

Mooney’s career never took off in Berkshire though and after making just two League Cup appearances he was soon loaned out of the club. A temporary spell at League One club Stockport County was restricted to just two games by injury, before he was loaned again to Championship strugglers Norwich City.

Three goals in eight starts at Carrow Road was not enough to prevent the Canaries getting relegated, but it did persuade Reading to give Mooney another try at the start of last season as he scored twice in a 5-1 League Cup win over non-league side Burton and featured again in the next round against Barnsley.

The arrival of Paul Lambert at the Norfolk club quickly saw Mooney loaned out to League One side Charlton Athletic though in what would turn out to be a season-long switch.

There, playing under former U’s boss Phil Parkinson, Mooney scored five goals in 28 League One appearances, including one in the play-off semi-finals as The Addicks eventually lost out on penalties to Swindon.

– Full story in tomorrow’s EADT.