Eoghan O’Connell made a winning debut for Cork City as John Caulfield’s side beat Limerick City 5-2 in a pre-season friendly last night.
O’Connell made the loan move to Cork on Thursday and will remain with his home town club until July 1 in a bid to get as much game time as possible under his belt.
The league season starts on March 4 with a home match against Bohemians but on February 27 Cork host double winners Dundalk in the President’s Cup.
“We are thrilled to get Eoghan,” Caulfield told the Cork City website. “He can play right across the back four and as a defensive midfielder, so it gives us a lot of options.
“We were looking to bring in another defensive player and it is something we have been working very hard on for the last few while.
“Celtic have agreed to loan him to us until July; he has been involved with their first team quite a bit and he went out on loan to Oldham but he picked up an injury and they were anxious to get him out on loan to play.”
O’Connell’s dad Damien and his brother Andy have both played for Cork with the young Celt looking forward to the prospect of regular top team action.
“I’m delighted to be back in Cork and I’m really looking forward to getting started and playing,” he said.
“My dad Damien and my brother Andy have both played for the club previously; Andy was here recently enough so I have been asking him about it and I would not be short on knowledge about the club!
“It’s about getting as many games as I can but the main objective is to help Cork City do as well as possible while I am here and try to win as many games as possible.”
Former Celt’s Liam Miller and Colin Healy are also on the books of Cork City.
LIMERICK v CORK CITY: McNulty, O’Connell, Bennett (Buckley 62), Browne, Dunleavy, Bolger (Sheppard 62), G. Morrissey (Donnellan 87), Holohan (Healy 62), Turner (McSweeney 75), Maguire (McLeod 75), Dooley (Ogbene 87)
