FAI Cup Report: Crumlin United 3 - 1 Lucan United

Dave Donnelly reports from Armagh Road

A dominant first-half performance saw Leinster Senior League champions Crumlin United set up an FAI Cup quarter-final tie with Bohemians.

An own goal and one each for Jake Donnelly and Alan McGreal saw Crumlin sail into a 3-0 half-time lead over second-tier Lucan United, who got a late consolation through Paddy Seery.

Lucan's latest signing, the former Shamrock Rovers, Leyton Orient and Reading striker Dave Mooney, remained on the bench as the west Dublin side tried in vain to mount a late comeback.

It was an open and expansive game throughout and the half-time scoreline owed more to Crumlin’s clinical finishing than a huge chasm between the team’s performances.

The top-tier side could have added more goals in the second half but were forced to play the final 20 minutes on the backfoot as newly-promoted Lucan threatened to make a game of it.

It was the visitors who started the brighter and  had the first half-chance as former Bohemians striker Marco Chindea tested Michael Quinn’s reflexes with a volley after four minutes.

Three minutes later, Andrew Bracken should have opened the scoring as he linked up with Aji Sule and broke through on goal but he opted to round Quinn rather than shoot, and the keeper got his hand to the ball on the floor.

Former League of Ireland winner Dean Kelly missed a sitter moments later as the early chances continued to flood through, turning Craig Walsh’s cross past the post.

It took Crumlin just another minute to open the scoring as Gareth Brady’s free kick from the left bounced awkwardly in front of Shane Maloney and deflected in off the full-back’s shins.

Nine minutes later it was 2-0 as Bobby Mazono was very harshly judged to have handled in the box and, though Ian Molloy got a hand to Donnelly’s low penalty to the right, he couldn’t keep it out.

A lovely move saw Donnelly touch Craig Walsh’s cross back inside to substitute Liam Brady, one of two brothers of Ireland international Robbie in the Crumlin squad.

The striker, who replaced Dean Kelly after he sustained a nasty gash on his leg, should have buried his low shot, but Molloy saved wonderfully with his feet.

Lucan had to soak up a lot of pressure but they should have cut the deficit in half when Bracken played in Chindea however Quinn was quickly off his line to narrow the angle and save.

It proved costly as, just four minutes later, McGreal made it 3-0 with the pick of the goals, showing outstanding technique to trap man-of-the-match Hyland’s long pass before finishing tidily.

It could even have got worse for Lucan before half time as Hyland headed narrowly over before a vicious volley from James Lee was plucked out of the top corner by Molloy.

Molloy was at his best once more on the hour as Liam Brady picked out McGreal’s run but the former Firhouse Clover keeper managed to tip his shot onto the post.

Lucan’s resurgence began after the hour as a McLoughlin shot was blocked wide and, from the resulting corner, Noel Cummins was forced to clear Tayem Dinamunenge’s shot off the line.

They finally made the breakthrough with 21 minutes remaining as a free kick from Cronin was brilliantly headed by Seery and squeezed in via the post and Quinn.

McGreal and Lee had chances to seal it for Crumlin either side of a Mercer shot from the edge of the box, and the keeper would put on an excellent display of legal time-wasting for the last 20 minutes.

Dinamunenge was desperately unlucky to see his flick clear the crossbar late on and the home side expertly managed the four minutes of added time to book their spot in the last eight.

Crumlin United: Michael Quinn; Noel Cummins, Blair Mandiangu, Thomas Hyland, Gareth Brady; Craig Walsh, James Lee, Conor Murphy, Alan McGreal (Sam Burges 79); Jake Donnelly (Gingi Aki 84), Dean Kelly (Liam Brady 23).

Subs not used: Adam Kenny (gk), Jack Memery, Calvin Rogers.

Booked: Noel Cummins (50), James Lee (68).

Lucan United: Ian Molloy; Bobby Mazono (Azeez Yussuf 88), Sean Cronin, Paddy Seery, Shane Maloney; Tayem Dinamunenge, Mick McLoughlin, Andrew Bracken; Aji Sule, Marco Chindea, Harmony Mercer.

Subs not used:  Jamie Behan (gk), Andrei Tornyai, Jack Colgan, Jonathan Lukaso, Gareth Hamilton, Dave Mooney.

Booked: Aji Sule (17), Harmony Mercer (68).

Referee: Barry Fitzpatrick.

Attendance: 200 (estimate).

Extratime.ie Player of the Match: Thomas Hyland (Crumlin United).