BRENDAN Moloney has signed for Championship side Scunthorpe United on a loan deal till the end of the current season from high flying Nottingham Forest. Brendan enjoyed a successful spell with Notts County in League Two, where he made 19 appearances.

The move is a step in the right direction for the Beaufort native. A move to the second tier of English football is a major leap from League Two and is an indication that Moloney is getting noticed in the world of English football. It is a welcome challenge for the Ireland U-21 starlet and plying his trade in a division that features the likes of Newcastle and Middlesbrough should further enhance his growing reputation.

He has already made a debut for The Iron in their 1-0 victory over QPR. He told Scunthorpe's official website: "It was a bit different, but that's probably the best way to do it isn't it? To go straight in and get on with it. It was my first match and I still feel like I need to get to know the lads a bit but the game couldn't have gone any better for us. Now I'll just take each day as it comes and each game as it comes. Hopefully we can get the points we need and shoot up the table."

Meanwhile, former Kingdom Boys duo Billy Dennehy and Seán Kelly have also made moves to Shamrock Rovers and Limerick FC respectively. Dennehy moves from troubled Cork City, where he had a terrific campaign last season. Shamrock Rovers pushed Bohs last season and are a side capable of toppling Bohs from their perch as League Champions. The former Sunderland man will be hoping to be central in their push for silverware this campaign.

Kelly drops a division to Limerick FC, but manager Pat Scully is very excited about Kelly, who was once on the books at Arsenal. "Sean is a player I was keen to sign – he had a great season in the Premier Division last year with Galway. He's a young player with lots of experience and he's really looking forward to the challenge ahead," Scully noted.

- John Falvey