Match of the Week: Lucan round off superb season

LUCAN UNITED’S incredible season came to a winning end in Arklow last Sunday after they added the LFA Junior Cup to the LSL Division 1B title and Tom Carrol Cup, when they dominated Wexford Bohs in the final and ran out 4-0 winners reports John Mooney.

There is no doubt that these lads have been the outstanding side in Junior Soccer last season, as they lost just one league game, got narrowly beaten by Pike Rovers in the FAI Junior Cup, lost 1-0 to a very good Old County FC in the Noel Ryan Cup final and won the above.

The season seemed to be never ending and this game was pencilled in for three weeks ago but, for one reason or another, it was put back to last Sunday.

Not ideal for any club hoping to get their hands on this cherished trophy, as the past three weeks was conducted playing friendly games and intense training sessions to keep the lads in top shape.

However, on Sunday it paid dividends after a bit of a ropey start, in which they tried to match Bohs in the physical department, as they finally got to grips with this game by playing their natural game and crushing the opposition.

Lucan United’s Brandon O’Halloran was named man-of-the-match after their 4-0 win over Wexford Bohs in the LFA Junior Cup final last Sunday

Bohs had a couple of half chances to open their account before Lucan finally took control when Jordan Hanley netted the first of his hat-trick, when he stretched to meet a Brandon O’Halloran centre to open their account on 31 minutes.

Wexford had an unbelievable chance to level the game two minutes later as Dermot Flood slipped the ball into PJ Banville, but from eight yards he was denied by keeper Ian Molloy.

That miss came back to haunt Bohs minutes later as O’Halloran, who went on to be named man-of-the-match, crashed home a Manuel Jesus centre, after a quickly taken corner by Leo Meyers.

It rocked Bohs and worse was to come as Lucan netted their third inside 10 minutes, when Hanley slotted home another O’Halloran centre.

To be honest it was game over, just like when they met Airfield in the Carroll Cup Final with three quick fire goals and that was that, and, really, all that was left for Bohs was to keep the score down.

This could have been worse, especially as Hanley completed his hat-trick five minutes after the restart, but 4-0 it ended with Hanley’s prediction coming through of scoring a hat-trick in the final and ending the season on 25 goals.